The Wandering Warrior and the Spider

by SupremeD9

Summary:

Juri Han, the spider, and her lust for battle has lead her to Ryu, the wandering warrior. She may not know it, but Ryu will bring a side out of her she thought to be long gone, even if he doesn't know that himself just yet.

Chapter 1: Attack of the Spider

SIN had fallen soon after the defeat and death of Seth at the hands of Bison. Shortly after, Juri encountered Bison and after a brief fight, had her Feng Shui Engine ripped out of her eye socket. Making her way to an underground SIN laboratory, she found the Feng Shui Engine Alpha, and replaced it where the previous one had been forcefully removed. Juri Han, one of SIN’s most powerful warriors, was seemingly left with nothing else to sink her teeth into. That is, until now. 

 

“Bummer, now I’m all bored without that empty body suit sending me around”, Juri thought out loud as she wandered aimlessly through the dense, mountainous woods of Japan. With Seth and SIN out of the picture, and Bison off the radar, all she had been doing was traveling around with no actual direction. That is, until she just remembered she snagged a few files last minute before leaving the SIN base for the last time. 

 

“Guess I have these lame old papers to skim through”, she said to herself as her small, pink nailed fingers shuffled through the file folder. One of the papers, which caught her attention, had one, singular name on the top in big, bold letters: RYU .

 

“Ryu… mmm, isn’t this the one that big bolt head Seth would go on about?”

 

Reading up on his data, she then realized this is the same Ryu which once fought Seth, nearly killing him. From the looks of it, Ryu seemed like an extraordinarily strong fighter, which was enough to rouse Juri’s thirst for battle and destruction. 

 

“Ansatsuken… the killing intent… one of the world’s strongest warriors… well, talk about a resume!”

 

Giggling, she shifted and skimmed through the files to look into where she could possibly find him. 

 

“Japan, huh? Mmm, just my luck, already here. Now where… there, in the woods, just a few miles up ahead near some lame old shack.” 

 

Licking her lips, the spider eagerly made her way deeper, higher into the woods, determined to find the wandering warrior and quenching her thirst for violence and ease her boredom for the time being. 

 

Or perhaps, she was trying to distract herself from something she had pushed to the farthest recesses of her mind. 

“ HADOUKEN!” 

 

Ryu shot his signature ki attack off into the distant waterfall, watching it part the waters for several seconds. Each and every single day, he trained and honed his skills. That was all he lived for, mainly. Little to no visitors, Ryu often mediated as well in order to further his understanding of how to suppress the Satsui no Hadou. 

“ Transcend humanity, boy, and the truth will be made clear!” 

 

Akuma’s words echoed through Ryu’s mind, and he quickly shook the thoughts away. Ever since way back when, when he scarred Sagat’s chest with a shoryuken fueled by the intense and intoxicating desire to win, he realized there were aspects of himself he needed to cleanse. Not so long ago, the Hadou attempted to take over him during his fight with C Viper. Not fully consumed, he was able to overcome the phase, but it was something he truly desired to overcome. He refused to give in to killing, and he refused to become like Akuma. 

 

Throwing more punches and kicks in the air, Ryu began focusing his ki once more, and attempted emptying his mind. His master, Gouken, had told him of the Power of Nothingness, the power which would be able to suppress the Satsui no Hadou for good. However, it was not easy in the slightest. 

 

Ryu’s meditative training was shortly interrupted. Within himself, he could feel a strong ki approaching his training grounds. It felt sinister and perverse, yet something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He then resumed his training session, intensifying it in preparation for an impending battle. 

 

That’s when Ryu heard a twig snap several yards behind him, instantly turning him around to face whoever had just arrived. 

 

“Hey there, get visitors often, tough guy?” 

 

Ryu took a hard glance at this person. It was a woman, no taller than five foot four inches. Slim, yet well built, Her abdominal toned, arms slender yet toned as well. Baggy pants, adorned with a tight, purple groin piece. A foot piece which allowed her heel and front half of her foot to stick out, nails with a bright pink polish. Her hair was parted to the sides, long bangs which reached down to the bottom of her face. On the back of her head, two buns which bore similarity to horns, held in place by purple colored rings. She gave off the ki of someone anyone should be cautious of. 

 

“Who are you?”, Ryu asked, tone stern. 

 

“The name’s Juri, JURI HAN!”, she exclaimed, letting out a small giggle, her eyes wide open, examining her soon to be target. She took a good glance at the man himself. Strong built body, wore no kind of footwear. Red headband tied around his head, flowing in the wind. White gi ripped at the sleeves and ankles, a black belt wrapped around the waist. Looked more like a warrior in person than the files. 

 

Juri licked her lips, as she felt that this might be her toughest fight yet. 

 

“And what exactly brings you here?”

 

“Well aren’t you as hard as a plank of wood. Here to crush you! After a good fight, that is. I read up about you, you seem like a strong guy. Handsome if I say so myself.” 

“I don’t know how you know about me, but that doesn’t matter. If it’s a battle you want, then prepare yourself”, Ryu said as he got into his fighting posture, tightening his headband. 

 

“That’s more like it! Don’t hold back, ‘world’s strongest warrior’, ‘cause that might end up getting you torn to bits!”, Juri shouted as her Feng Shui Engine began to faintly glow, her bloodlust rising, getting into her fighting posture.

 

Juri made the first move, dashing towards Ryu with a deadly kick, swinging into his right side. Blocking it, he countered by taking hold of her lower leg and attempting to throw her into the nearby tree. Gracefully recovering her balance, she broke the impact and propelled herself Ryu, this time launching a double kick to his left side. The first kick was blocked, by the second broke through his defense, connecting with his jaw. 

 

“HAH! How’d you like that?”

 

Recovering his balance quickly, Ryu launched a hard left hook to Juri’s ribs now that she had gotten into close quarters a second after her connected kick. The punch landed clean and knocked the air out of her, taking her by surprise somewhat. The punch was followed by a spinning kick, which sent her flying back into a tree. 

 

Regaining her balance, her left eye shined violently, as the Feng Shui Engine cranked up her ki. 

 

“Mm, nice one, not going down THAT EASY!”, she screamed in manic delight as she kicked, except this kick wasn’t close to touching Ryu, and after a hard swing of the leg, a blast of purple ki went straight towards Ryu. Caught off guard for a split second. Ryu jumped to the side and dodged it. It didn’t take more than a second for Juri to begin unleashing an onslaught of Feng Shui powered kicks and ki onto Ryu. Blocking several and parrying many, Ryu broke out of the assault with a mighty uppercut. 

 

“ SHORYUKEN! ”

 

The punch connected with Juri sending her up towards the air, rattling her. Upon landing back on her feet, staggering, she licked her lips hungrily. No one, not Chun Li nor Cammy, had given her a battle this exciting or difficult before. 

 

“Ya know, you’re way stronger than the kitten and the cop! Makes this all the more exciting, don’t you think, handsome?!” 

 

“Talk is cheap, the answer lies in the heart of this battle.” 

 

“Boring! Who says that kind of stuff anyway?”

 

That’s when Ryu dashed at Juri, and the both of them began exchanging blows. Juri’s flurry of kicks and maneuvers were giving Ryu a run for his money, while his own kicks and punches had her on edge the entire time. The blockings and counterings were nonstop, never ending, and it seemed like the feelings of bloodlust had began to emanate even stronger from Juri than before. 

 

“ You know you feel it… give in to the intent, reciprocate the thirst for blood…”

 

“No, I refuse!”, Ryu said out loud to himself, as he knocked Juri away with a right kick. 

 

After the kick, as if for a fleeting moment, Ryu saw something else in the sinister woman’s eye. Not on the left, but on the right. He didn’t know what exactly it was, but it was different from the bloodlust. 

 

“Huh? Talkin’ to yourself? Or am I starting’ to SCARE ya?” 

 

Ignoring the remark, Ryu prepared himself for the fight to continue. 

 

“Well, I’ve had a lot of fun! But I think I’ll just kill you now!” 

 

Juri always felt delight in taunting her opponents in the midst of battle. Usually, they tended to throw them off, but for some reason this man just wouldn’t budge. 

 

Juri unleashed a deadly kick, except this one was different. She did not unleash one ki blast, but several, all coming straight to Ryu. 

 

“That old meat robot Seth was pretty right about you after all, then!”, Juri shouted as she released the kick of ki blasts. 

 

“Seth? What? Does she work for SIN?”, Ryu thought to himself. The thoughts quickly exited his mind as soon as they came. He began charging up a ki blast of his own, one strong enough to mow down through Juri’s attack. Ryu wasn’t sure what exactly this woman’s true motives could possibly be, but her intent to kill was still there. 

 

“ SHINKU… HADOUKEN!! ”

 

The two attacks collided with each other, both pressing onto each other. Ryu’s ki attack proved to be stronger, however, as it pierced the barrage of Juri’s ki attack and starting heading towards her, full throttle. 

 

For the first time, Juri found herself in a situation she could not escape from. Never before had one of her strongest attacks been overpowered like this. Suddenly, memories from her younger years came to her. 

 

“ And here we have Taekwondo prodigy, Juri Han, the victor!” 

 

Juri remembered all too well, before Shadoloo murdered her parents and took her away from everything she knew, she was a known taekwondo prodigy. Back then, she was actually quite the different person, a near complete opposite to who she was now. She had sworn vengeance against Bison and Shadoloo for what they had done to her and her parents. However, in order to become stronger and ease whatever remaining pain she felt deep inside, she became more unhinged over time. A loss of morals, manners, and honor, is what turned her into the killing machine she is today. Any remnants of kindness, sadness, all gone and tucked away into the farthest reaches of her mind. Replaced by a thirst for battle and chaos 

 

One of her favorite kicks from her time before the attack of Shadoloo, however, she had enhanced with the Feng Shui Engine to catch targets off guard. And now, at this very moment, for the first time, it hadn’t just devastated her opponent like it usually did. 

 

The Shinku Hadouken connected with Juri’s body, full contact, and sent her reeling back into a tree, knocking her out cold. Left shocked and tattered, the unhinged and crazy front Juri constantly had on her face had all but vanished as she collapsed onto the grassy, rocky terrain that laid at the bottom of the tree. 

 

“What was that just now in her right eye?”. Ryu thought to himself, as he took a glance at her defeated self. He walked over to her.

 

Noticing Ryu walking over, Juri quickly recomposed her devilish smile and gave off the best unhinged smile she could in her current state. 

 

“Guess I lost… bit off more than I could chew… gonna finish me off now, huh… ?!” Juri wheezed faintly, as her Feng Shui Engine began to dim.

 

Her eyes closed, and she fainted from the damage she had just sustained. 

 

Ryu looked down at her. There was something about this woman that caused Ryu to ponder deeply to himself. This person, who seemed to have had ties with SIN and Seth, someone who has most definitely committed multiple atrocities, a woman who seemed borderline psychotic in nature, something about her made Ryu almost pity her. 

 

“She speaks like someone who’s lost their mind, full of blood thirst, but there must be something more to it than that. Is it a facade of some kind?” Ryu began thinking to himself. He did not deny the danger Juri posed, but something within him told him he had to do something. 

 

That’s when he decided to carry her back to the nearby deserted temple, a place where he usually laid to rest, to treat her wounds. 

 

Setting her down on a long piece of cloth, Ryu grabbed a towel, moist in a traditional herb water mix, and wiped at the bruise and scratch marks left from their battle. Still out cold, Juri’s breathing began to ease up a little. 

 

“Had I given in to the Hadou, she would’ve been dead right now. Even if she had killing intent, I can’t seep down to that level. Never. Maybe I’ll get the answers I seek tomorrow whens he wakes up.”, Ryu told himself internally. 

 

Truly bewildered, Ryu took notice of how different  Juri’s face looked now. This crazed female, taekwondo practitioner, whose face expressed nothing but ill intention, looked like something totally different now that she was in a state of rest. 

 

Ryu got up, let out a deep breath, exited the temple, and sat near the waterfall in the area to meditate and polish his understanding of the Power of Nothingness. He would question Juri the next morning once she woke up.

Chapter 2: A Spider Caught in her own Web

A crack of sunlight seeped through a hole in the temple’s roof. Shining directly on Juri’s resting face, her eyes fluttered open. Confused, she examined her surroundings, trying to piece together the last several hours. 

 

“Came around the middle of nowhere in the woods to fight Mr. Philosophy man… then I lost.. Then what?”, she pondered, as she stood up.

 

“And he REALLY had the audacity to help me?! Ugh…”, Juri thought to herself, pounding her heel on the stone floor. If there was one thing she hated, it was being made to look weak or vulnerable, something she could only think to retaliate in by inflicting a painful beating. 

 

Walking to the entrance, that’s when she spotted Ryu a few yards off, holding a fighting posture, facing the waterfall. Completely still. Sensing Juri’s approach, he turned around to face her. 

 

“You know, ya got some real nerve doing something like that. Could’ve just killed me, kicked little old me down a cliff, left me to the wolves. I would’ve done that if I had won”, Juri told Ryu in a mocking tone, her face visibly angry. 

 

“I fight to grow, and learn. Killing isn’t part of the path I walk. Whether you want to continue fighting or not is up to y-”

 

Ryu was suddenly cut off by a swift and powerful left sided kick, but it was blocked firmly. 

 

“Blah blah blah, who cares? Don’t we all just fight to have a little fun?! Who cares about meaning in a fight, it’s all about having some fun while breaking someone’s bones!” Juri said as she let out a long, high pitched laughter. She suddenly began realizing that Ryu didn’t really put that much effort into blocking her kick. 

 

“You’re not in any condition to fight to the fullest. Defeating you as you are now wouldn’t help me grow”, Ryu said as he looked Juri straight in her purple eyes. 

 

Moving her foot to the side, he turned his back to Juri and began walking away. 

 

Juri couldn’t believe it. She looked at him in contempt, but at the same time, hadn't ever met anyone who behaved this way. It unsettled her somewhat. 

 

“Is he mocking me?”, she thought to herself. 

 

“Maybe we’ll cross paths again. But before I continue my training, just who are you really? You seem to have connections to SIN and Seth. Didn’t SIN fall? Why did you seek me out?”

 

“HAH! Mmm, well, guess I’ll just tell it straight to ya then. Old bolt head Seth is gone, I just came here ‘cus I was a little bored. That’s all”, she retorted in an almost seductive tone. 

 

“I see.”

 

“Guess you do, huh? Well, hope you’re ready FOR ROUND TW-”

 

Juri was cut off by Ryu’s fist stopping mere inches from her chin. 

 

“As I told you, you are in no condition to fight at full strength. Maybe we’ll fight again eventually, perhaps discard those destructive and murderous habits. They will only lead you down a path of misery up ahead. You don’t take orders from anyone anymore, so why not better yourself?” 

 

Turning his back to her once again, he began walking to the nearby waterfall. 

 

Juri felt both perplexed and annoyed. Almost everyone she’s ever faced either spoke to her in utter contempt or terror, yet Ryu seemed as if he was even trying to give her advice, despite having blocked her attack filled with the intent to cause potentially mortal damage. It was confusing her.

 

Perhaps it was the first instance of kindness she’s been given in a long time. 

 

“What’s your deal anyways? Does everything have some kind of meaning in it? Lameee!” 

 

Ryu did not respond, and he continued walking down to the waterfall. He knew Juri didn’t pose a threat to him in the slightest in her current state, and even felt her sinister, blood thirsty intent in her ki fall back slightly. Sitting behind the base of the waterfall, he began preparing himself to once again attempt achieving the Power of Nothingness. 

 

“Guess I’ll just stick around, got nothing else to do anyways, I guess. Till I get my rematch”, Juri thought out loud. She walked over to the area Ryu had sat in to meditate, and sat a few meters in front of him, watching him in amusement. 

 

“So this is all the ‘world’s strongest warrior’ does all day? Sit down and do some yoga?”, Juri said in a mocking tone. 

 

Ryu didn’t respond, as he remained in his meditative state. She began to grow impatient. 

 

“Earth to yoga man! Am I gonna have to bash your skull in to get some kind of response?” 

 

Juri lifted her leg up and prepared to slam down an axe kick, and that she did. Except she actually stopped mere millimeters before connecting. Ryu didn’t move, and then finally opened his eyes. 

 

“I sensed you didn’t intend to go through with your kick. That’s why I didn’t stop it.”

 

“Well, had to do something to get your attention anyways.”

 

“Why do you still remain here, Juri?”, Ryu asked.

 

“Guess you can say I want a rematch, but at the same time, just kind of curious what ‘world’s strongest warrior’ does in his spare time. Seems kind of boring’ if you ask me, though”, Juri said, pacing around the area.

 

Ryu felt rather strange about all of this. A borderline psychopathic and unhinged woman comes to fight, loses, yet insists on remaining around for a rematch. All for what? Just to satiate her boredom and thirst for violence. A polar opposite to himself in almost every facet. Only thing they had in common was enjoying a good fight. 

 

“We seem to be total opposites in our motivations for battle. Perhaps we’ll never understand each other in those regards. I’m sure at one point in your life, you weren’t as you are now. So why not create a new path for yourself? Maybe then, we’ll have our rematch.” 

 

“Hah! That doesn’t sound like much fun to me. I’m just a girl that likes havin’ some fun, always and always will be.” 

 

Ryu wasn’t sure why, but he felt compelled to continue the conversation. He still remembered that fleeting moment during their fight, where for only a fraction of a second, the sheer contempt and lust for violence in Juri’s eyes disappeared. 

 

“One of my greatest rivals, Sagat, was once somewhat like you. His thirst for revenge, violence, it led him down a dark path. Yet making friends along the path of the warrior, he saved himself. Maybe you should do the same. You’d be surprised the friends one would make in the midst of battle if they opened their mind to growth.” 

 

The word “friends” echoed through Juri’s mind. She hadn’t thought of the concept ever since the murder of her parents at the hands of Shadoloo. On that day, she was utterly devastated on the inside. Broken, in shambles. After her left eye was damaged, it was replaced with the Feng Shui Engine, and the augmentation of her fighting abilities via the engine’s abilities helped her snuff out any and all kinds of feelings relating to compassion and peace. Now that she remembered, she hasn’t had a single true friend for years. 

 

One might say that she was indeed a lonely person, broken inside. Constantly putting those feelings off in the back of her mind by distracting herself with the thrill of fighting. At this point in her life, all she knew was manipulating and playing with people’s heads to further her own personal agendas. 

 

“Hahaha, I think I’ll pass. That doesn’t sound like my preference of fun”, Juri said as she let out a cackle. 

 

“Very well, that’s up to you. Though, since you don’t seem to have any friends, perhaps you’re held back by loneliness. You might not see it, but making friends with those you battle would go a lo-”

 

“WHAT THE HELL do YOU know about ME anyways!? ‘Lonely’? Don’t make me laugh! Well, maybe my foot’s been feeling a little lonely, but that’ll change once I bash it into your head!” 

 

It was an empty threat, however. Juri’s face was beet red. Fuming internally unlike she’s ever had in a long time. Usually, she was the one to get in one’s head, slowly chipping away at their psyche to make them make a mistake. But it seemed as if the roles were somehow reversed. Without even intending to, Ryu began getting into her head. 

 

Juri felt mentally defeated at this very moment. Yet she didn’t fully understand why. Why did being called lonely bother her this much? She’s been thrown the biggest of insults, threats, you name it. But being called that one word, particularly by someone who had tried giving her advice of some kind even after she came all the way over here with the intent to maim or beat within an inch of his life, was not only like rubbing salt in a wound, but it was rattling her. Disorienting her in every way. 

 

Once more, Ryu rose up, and began walking off in the opposite direction. Juri stood there, staring him down with pure, unadulterated rage. Nothing angered her more than seemingly being read by someone who not only defeated her, but had mercy on her when he had every chance to finish her off for good.

 

Juri then began walking off herself. She headed towards a deeper part of the woods. Once she was deep enough, she began kicking and destroying surrounding trees around her, her Feng Shui Engine beaming violently. 

 

“PFT, lonely?! What does some homeless guy know about me? I don’t need any friends! I just want a good time while I break someone’s bones”, Juri told herself, as she kicked and tore at the trees with her kicks, to the point of exhaustion. She was left breathing heavily, and staring at the ground. 

 

What stung her the most, she realized, was that Ryu’s words held some truth to them. Though she could not fully process the fact, due to how much she had pushed such thoughts and feelings to the back of her mind for so long. 

 

Juri has been broken inside for years, but no one would ever know it, maybe till now.

Chapter 3: Remembering the Catalyst

After letting out some steam, Juri sat down on a boulder nearby. She felt something in her left eye, the Feng Shui Engine. 

 

“Heh, guess the contact just doesn’t fit that well with this new thing”, she said as she tossed the purple contact she had gotten to match her right eye. Her current engine, a prototype Feng Shui Engine, was modeled to look like a blue eye, rather than the purple one she had yanked out by Bison. 

 

“ Is this the engine he developed?”, she remembered, as Bison tore it out of her eye socket, leaving her for dead seconds after. 

 

Juri remembered the short fight she had with Bison not too long ago. The sheer hatred and contempt for that man was unlike any other. Ever since that day, when she was only fifteen, when her father was just about to testify and put away multiple Shadoloo affiliated criminals for a long, long time. Juri began thinking back on when it had all happened. 

 

When her life made a sudden left turn off a cliff. 

 

“ Uh, dad, what’s a chatta-lew?”, The younger Juri asked, as she poked at her dinner plate. 

 

“ Don’t worry about it honey, just listen to your father.” 

 

“No, let me explain it to her. She is a big girl, after all”, her father had told her mother with a warm smile, which then transitioned to a serious look. 

 

“ Juri, Shadoloo is a big crime organization, full of very bad people from all around the world. I will be testifying against them with evidence I found with the help of Interpol, where I work at. These bad people will be put away for a very, very long time. So tomorrow, I want both you and your mom to be ready at 6am sharp to head to the airport. Understood?”

 

“Okay dad. Uh, what did Shadoloo do? Who are the bad guys in there?”

 

“That’s enough questions for tonight, Juri. Finish your dinner so you can get ready for bed”, her mother told her softly. 

 

“ Oh, okay, mama.”

 

After dinner was over, the younger Juri set her plate in the sink and made her way upstairs to brush her teeth and get ready for bed. While she was brushing, you could vaguely hear her parents speaking in an almost argumentative tone. 

 

“ Are you sure you want to go through with this, honey? Shadoloo is dangerous… what if something happens to you… me… Juri... “ 

 

“I must do this. They’ve gotten away with far too much, for far too long. Someone has to bring them to justice! And I finally have evidence that can...”, Juri could not make out the rest. 

 

Although at the time, she wasn’t quite sure just how serious her father’s job was, she knew that by the sound of what she just heard, it was dangerous. Very dangerous. Walking herself to her room, she crawled into the covers, preparing herself to fall asleep. But at the same time, she couldn’t help but be kept up by the worrisome tone her mother had. 

 

Her door then opened, and it was her mother. 

 

“ Came to check in on you. Having trouble sleeping?”, she said as she came to her bed, placing a hand on Juri’s face and caressing it. 

 

“ Um, no mama”, she answered, but she couldn’t hide it anymore. 

 

“ You know your father wouldn’t let anything happen to us. He loves us very much, Interpol will make sure we make it back home safely.”

 

“Alright mama, if you say so”, she responded, as she rose from her bed momentarily to hug her. As she laid back down, her mother stroked her chin. 

 

“ How about this? When the three of us come back after your father puts those bad people away, we’ll finally buy you that set of pink nail polish you’ve always wanted! After all, you have been making progress in your taekwondo lessons!”, her mother proposed to her cheerfully. 

 

This was enough to instantly brighten up Juri’s mood of concern. 

 

“What, really?!”

 

“Of course my sweet, little pumpkin. Now, get some rest so we can wake up early tomorrow!”

 

“Okay, mama. Goodnight.”

 

“Goodnight, Juri”, her mother said, planting a kiss on her forehead. 

 

The younger Juri began drifting off into sleep, as she stared out the window across the end of her bed, as a light snow began to fall. Little did she know, the next morning would be the catalyst to her deep dive into cruelty and drive for vengeance.

 

6am

 

“Juri, Juri. It’s time to wake up, we must be ready to make our way to the airport with father, remember?”

 

Juri woke up from her mother’s words, moving her shoulder awake as she rubbed the crust from the corners of her eyes. Yawning, she got up from her bed and started getting dressed. The light snow still persisted outside. 

 

After putting on her formal clothing, the clothing she usually wore when accompanying her father on a job related trip, she fixed her hair into two buns, separating on the back of her head. Usually, she would only let her hair down when at home. 

 

“ All set to go, Juri?”, her father asked, as he threw on his long dress coat, reaching for his suitcase shortly after. 

 

“ Yes, dad.”

 

“Alright! Honey, please wait in the limousine with Juri while I grab my coffee, I’ll join you two in a minute.”

 

“Of course!”

 

With Juri and her mother heading to the limo, the butler stepped out of the driver’s side and opened the door for them. 

 

“ Good morning, madam Han! And the little Ms. Han, how do you two fare today?” the butler greeted, a smile on his face. 

 

“ Good morning, Jibso! We are doing fine today, today is very important. You must know why by now, I’m sure.”

 

Nodding his head in agreement, Juri and her mother both got into the limo, with Jibso closing the door after. He then got back into his driver’s side.

 

“Yes, indeed I do, madam. Please, all of you be careful. Sir Han isn’t dealing with the average criminal”, Jibso responded, a tone of worry and seriousness in his voice. 

 

“And your father must be proud to have such a mature daughter who’s taking this very well. You may be fifteen, Ms. Han, but there aren’t many who could handle the gravity of this situation as well as you are.”

 

Juri gave a smile, then began to look out the window, lost in thought and worry as snow continued to fall lightly, blanketing the blocks of street with a thin, white layer. Moving her hands over the rich, corinthian leather seats was all she could do to keep herself occupied.

 

The door next to her mother opened, and there entered her father, coffee in hand. 

 

“Alright Jibso, I think we’re all ready now! Head to the airport, please.” 

 

“Of course, Sir Han. Off we go.” 

 

As the ride initiated, Juri couldn’t shake off the feeling in her stomach. It was a feeling of pure dread, as if something horrible was on the horizon. The feeling lasted for about ten minutes, until suddenly, the drive slowly came to a brake. 

 

“Ah, that’s strange. There seems to be another vehicle blocking the way. Let me just move around… hm? What’s this?” Jibso said, a tone of confusion which slowly became that of concern. 

 

Three figures exited the car before them. All wearing black trench coats, fedoras which concealed their facial features due to the light snow which had become more of a flurry. Juri’s father's hand went into his long coat, searching for his gun. 

 

“Just what is the meaning of this? Do not trouble yourself Sir Han, I will tak-” 

 

PAPAPAPAPAPAPAPA

 

“ACK”

 

Jibso was cut off by a spray of machine gun fire from one of the three figures, riddling him with bullet holes which began to bleed profusely, with one of the bullets flying through the driver’s seat and piercing Juri’s mother in the leg. 

 

“AGH! Honey, the gun, protect Juri-”

 

PAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPA

 

Yet another spray of bullets pierced the car, but this time, Juri’s mother was the one being filled with bullets. Killing her almost instanously. 

 

“NO! MAMA!” , Juri shrieked in pure terror, tears flooding out of her eyes as she reached out to her mother, who laid on the car seat, bleeding out, eyes wide open. 

 

“SHIT! NO! THIS… GET DOWN JURI!!” 

 

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Juri’s father dove to cover Juri as much as he could. His arm took multiple gun shots, a few the right side of his back. But a single bullet managed to actually lodge itself right into Juri’s left eye.

 

She blacked out, then and there. 

 

Beep… beep… beep… beep… beep…

 

Juri laid in a hospital bed, with nearly a dozen medical appliances hooked onto her. Her left eye covered in a thick, white bandage. 

 

Upon waking up, she realized she could not actually open her eyes, move, or speak.

 

“ Doctor Serizawa, we’ve placed her in a medically induced coma. We attempted saving the sight in her left eye, but it was no use. She lost 26% of her blood. She should be ready to awaken within a week” 

 

“Such a tragedy. Wasn’t her father a top agent at interpol? How could this happen? Her mother is gone. We couldn’t do a thing to save her, she was dead on the scene. The father, nowhere to be found…” 

 

There are many instances in which a person can wake up to some degree in a coma, only being able to hear what is going on around them. In Juri’s case, she could hear very vividly, and began remembering everything that had just transpired. 

 

She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, she wanted to throw everything around her against the walls. But she couldn’t. Her mother was gone, and at this time, she was totally unaware of what had happened to her father. 

 

Over the next couple days, Juri had been occasionally listening to what was happening around her during her coma. A television was at the edge of her hospital bed, the news station tuned into on a daily basis. 

 

“BREAKING NEWS… Xiao Han, esteemed Interpol agent, has reportedly been taken hostage by the crime syndicate organization known as Shadoloo. They claim they will return him if the South Korean government pays a ransom of five hundred trillion won.” 

 

The younger Juri was filled with despair.

 

“Please save my dad… please…”, she thought to herself.

 

Juri held onto the hope that at least her father would be saved. But her hopes were crushed the very next day. 

 

“ BREAKING NEWS… The Souther Korean government has put a statement, saying they will not be negotiating with terrorists…” 

 

Juri tried her best to scream, but she still could not. Not even move a muscle. 

 

Not even a minute later, the news station said something else. 

 

“... and another breaking development… Xiao Han has just been executed on live television… possibly as a response to the denial of negotiations of the South Korean government…” 

 

A tear managed to escape Juri’s comatose body, as she laid there. Suffering internally, unlike she ever thought possible. Not only did she lose her mother, but her father as well. 

 

“No… no… please no... no… NO!!!” Was all Juri could think to herself. This is the day in which she began to develop a deep, burning hatred towards Shadoloo. Just a few days later, she woke up, finally being able to move her body around. Though for days, she had to endure mental torture and despair, without being able to actually express it.

 

“Good morning, Juri Han. It’s been a week since the incident, how are you feeling?”, a nurse asked her. But all Juri did was stare at her blankly, unresponsive. 

 

“... well, you’ll be discharged out of here soon. I apologize that the sight in your left eye wasn’t saved.”

 

Juri noticed that her vision was halved, brushing a hand over her left eye, only to feel an eyepatch. Slipping it off, her left eye still only saw complete darkness. Taking hold of a mirror nearby, she took a look at her left eye. The iris was scarred and jagged. That’s where the bullet had lodged itself during the assault on the limo. 

 

“ Who am I leaving with?” Juri asked, voice still empty and ridden of emotion. 

 

“Ah! Your taekwondo master, Tenshin Zi. He was part of the emergency contact list your parents had filled out… I am sorry about what happened to them.” 

 

Thinking of her parents, how they were mercilessly killed, how the government refused to even make an effort to save her father who had risked his life to bring them to justice, she felt nothing but rage and sorrow. Yet, she didn’t express any of it, just as she hadn’t during her coma. 

 

About an hour later, Juri was dressed in her clothing she had on before being taken to the hospital. She was escorted to the first floor, where Tenshin, her taekwondo master, waited.

 

“Hello, Ms. Han. I am so terribly sorry about your parents… I knew them for years. Please, let us take our leave.” 

 

Once again, Juri was unresponsive. 

 

Upon arriving at her home, she slowly made her way to her room.

 

“I will leave the key down here, Ms. Han. Your new butler will be waiting at your command when you dial his number. Once again, I am sorry about your parents…”

 

Tenshin took his leave.

 

As she went up the stairs and passed by the hallway, she took a good look into each of her parents’ rooms. 

 

“I’ll never see them here again… never.” 

 

Once she entered her room, she laid down on her bed, almost expecting to hear her parents talking downstairs like usual, even though she knew she’d never hear them again. She finally let it out, a long, blood curdling scream, which broke into hysteric crying. For hours upon end, she screamed, cried, punched, kicked at walls. She was exhausted after it was all done, eyes pink and puffy, her throat raspy.

 

The next day, she dialed the number on the phone downstairs to call in her new butler for a ride to her taekwondo master’s dojo. 

 

Upon arriving, Juri walked in, her gi fastened. Tenshin came towards her and took a respectful bow. 

 

“I see you are ready for today’s les-”

 

“How about this, SHUT your trap, and start teaching me each and every single thing you know about taekwondo. Everything.” 

 

Utterly taken by surprise by such a change of character in Juri, a fifteen year old no less, Tenshin accepted. 

 

For years, Juri trained and learned every facet of her style. She did not even attend her mother’s funeral. Ever since that day, where she started her training to master her art, she had discarded and pushed away all feelings of compassion, empathy, sympathy, all of it. All she desired was to crush and destroy Shadoloo with her own hands. 

 

It didn’t take long for Juri to surpass her master, Tenshin.

 

Eventually, her fighting prowess, which laid waste to many other martial artists in tournaments up to the age of 25, had caught the attention of SIN. Once she was recruited, with her main motive matching SIN’s agenda of destroying Shadoloo, she was implanted with the Feng Shui Engine. Her fighting power augmented, and she became what she is now. 

 

“Heh, that sure was some time ago…”

Chapter 4: A Spider's Curiosity

After reminiscing of her past for a good while and letting some steam off in the forest, Juri decided she wanted to change her fit. 

 

“Now that I think about it, kind of getting bored of this same outfit. Need something new”, she thought out loud. 

 

She finally decided to head to the nearest clothing store she could find. Though, that wasn’t common in the middle of a forest filled mountain range in Japan. 

 

“Agh, bummer Mr. Philosophy Man lives all the way out here. Looks like it’ll be a trip finding the closest city.”

 

Juri licked her finger, and held it up to the wind. Feeling the wind blowing north bound, she remembered just where exactly she had come from before strolling through the forest via her photographic memory. Stretching her legs, she began her trek. Though, something lingered in her mind, as a devilish grin came across her face.

 

“Maybe I’ll stop by here again and give him a surprise visit, got nothing else to do, afterall”, Juri told herself as she let out a small chuckle. 

 

But perhaps it could be that something else calls Juri to return, something she doesn’t quite seem to know, or want to acknowledge subconsciously. 

“Still haven’t transcended humanity, eh? You lack discipline.”

 

“You haven’t transcended your humanity, you’ve thrown it away!”

 

“Prepare to meet your maker!”

 

In his meditative state, Ryu thought back to not so long ago, when he was engaged by Akuma in a fight. The man of Satsui no Hadou always pushed and pressed Ryu on not accepting the Hadou in order to give him the fight to the death he seeks. He was losing the battle, up until Gouken arrived and stopped Akuma in his tracks.

 

“The winner of this fight shall decide the cub’s fate. Come!” 

 

In the aftermath of the fight, Gouken had seemingly come out on top in a draw against Akuma. Soon after, Gouken sealed the Satsui no Hadou within Ryu, much to Akuma’s frustration. 

 

“The hadou is sealed within me thanks to master Gouken, but it still lingers. I have to continue my growth using the Power of Nothingness if I want to subdue it for good.”

 

There were often many times in which Ryu was suddenly filled with dark thoughts and desires while he meditated. While only for a fraction of a second, it was enough to pressure Ryu into remaining wary of it. And now at this juncture of all junctures, it didn’t help that he had just been attacked by someone with a ki filled with malice and perversion. 

 

Several hours ago, Juri had seemingly wandered away from Ryu’s training grounds. Remaining somewhat curious about the woman, Ryu began pondering to himself as he got up on his feet. 

 

“Such a strange person. Did not intend to set her off with the implication that she was lonely. Perhaps she is? But why does she radiate such violence and chaos? What will I do if she returns?”, Ryu thought to himself. 

 

Of course, Ryu was prepared to battle her once more if she challenged him if she was in her best condition. Though, he wondered if he should attempt helping her in a way. He began thinking back to Sagat’s drive for vengeance which transformed to a good hearted rivalry, and although Sagat and Jury were entirely different people with very different motives, Ryu couldn’t help but wonder if this was perhaps a chance to help another person to grow as he has. 

 

“If she returns, I will speak to her as if she were any other. Besides, she no longer has any ties to SIN, so she wouldn’t have a real reason to come by again unless it was to ‘relieve her boredom’, as she said herself”, he thought. 

 

Standing in a semi-open field of grass and boulders, Ryu got into his fighting stance. Not missing a single day of training, Ryu focused his ki and began. 

 

“TATSUMAKI SENPUKYAKU!”

 

Ryu launched himself through the air, as his legs spinned similar to that of a tornado. 

Juri had finally arrived in Osaka, the closest city to the mountainous forest, intent on finding the nearest clothing store. 

 

“Finallyyy, some modern civilization”, she said out loud as she walked the dark, nearly dusk streets. The streets were faintly illuminated by the glowing, neon signs jutting out of the sides of buildings. A very diverse line of stores, ranging from food, toys, furniture, mangas, and movies. And finally, a clothing store, exactly what she was looking for. 

 

“Looks like this girl’s going shoppin’.”

 

Walking through the automatic sliding doors, Juri took a slow walk around the clothing sections. Eying the vast section of clothes, she began moving her hand through the assortment of hangers. 

 

“This? No… maybe this? No, not this either... “, Juri mumbled to herself as she kept running her fingers through the clothing.

 

In general, Juri was quite the picky person when it came to picking an outfit. She preferred wearing flexible clothing that allowed her to move around freely, but at the same time, wanted her curves to be pronounced and known. Akin to her personality. 

 

“Hmmm… ah, there!” 

 

Juri took hold of a pair of leggings which had a light purple color on the outer sides and a white inner thigh coloration. Along with that, a pair of knee high boots which fit her slim, yet fit legs perfectly.

 

“Looks like all I need’s a shirt.”

 

Making her way to the shirt and coat section, she began strolling by the wide variety of choices at her disposal. 

 

“This will do for now.” 

 

Juri grabbed a back, skin tight tank top, which was cut off on the bottom to leave the abdominal area exposed. She found a purple bra to go along with it. Then she found a dark, blueish gray coat. It had a fur texture on the edges and shoulder. 

 

“Guess it wouldn’t hurt to have a little style around here, anyways”, she thought. As she made her way to the fitting room, Juri suddenly thought of something. 

 

“Does Mr. Philosophy man always wear the same clothing every day? Who does that? What a weirdo.”, she thought to herself in amusement. 

 

Shutting the door behind her, Juri began taking her clothes off. Starting with her spider pattern chest piece, she unclipped and removed it. Putting on her new bra, she took a look in the mirror, admiring her chest. 

 

“Mmm, wonder if he even thought of looking at these when we fought”, she thought as she licked her lips. Though, as passionate about fighting and meaning as Ryu was, probably not much to her annoyance.

 

Slipping off her baggy, white pants, she threw them to the side and put on her leggings. A second later, she slipped on her knee high boots which gave her optimal flexibility. She noticed something fell out of her pocket. Not only was it a small purse like wallet, but an eye patch. Grabbing the eye patch, she decided to slip it on. 

 

“Not a fan of the mismatching eye color”, she said out loud. 

 

Admiring her new outfit in the mirror, she giggled in satisfaction as she left behind her old fit and pushed the door open. Without even thinking about paying for the new clothes, she made her way to the exit. That’s when she was stopped at the door by an employee of the store. 

 

“Miss, you’re going to have to pay for those things.” 

 

“Oh, do I really?”, Juri responded smugly as she got in the woman’s face, her Feng Shui engine beaming bright enough to be seen through the eye patch. Startled and intimidated, the woman backed away and scurried away. 

 

“N-no, miss. Have a great day!” 

 

Satisfied, Juri strided out of the store, shaking her hips side to side. She was quite content with her new fit, and realized she was bored once again. 

 

“Guess I’ll pay that squatter another visit, time for my rematch”, Juri thought as a sinister smile came onto her face. 

 

Making her way back towards the direction of the mountainous forest Ryu trained at, she had realized she didn’t just want a rematch. After thinking about it for a moment, Juri began pondering how Ryu wasn’t such a pain to the eyes. She found him quite handsome, as a matter of fact. His strength and proficiency in ansatsuken made him very attractive in her eyes, all the more reason to engage him in battle to relieve her boredom.

“HADOUKEN!”

 

Ryu shot his signature ki blast through the sides of the waterfall. Yet another day of training. At that moment, however, something caught his attention. He sensed an approaching ki, one that felt all too similar to Juri’s. Though unsure why, aside from the malice and thirst for violence in Juri’s ki, something about her made sensing her from far away easier than sensing others approaching. 

 

A few more minutes passed, as Ryu had sat down to meditate near a foliage of trees and bushes. Deep in thought, he contemplated many things. One of those things, being the particularity of Juri. 

 

“Something about that girl… what is it?” 

 

His train of thought was interrupted as he heard footsteps approaching his vicinity. Opening his eyes and standing up, Ryu saw that it was none other than Juri Han. He took notice of her changed attire. 

 

“Guess who, yoga man? Back for my rematch”, Juri said in a seductive tone. 

 

Though Ryu could indeed feel her desire to fight growing by the second, he did notice a slight fall back on her blood thirst. A good deal different than the first time they met. Before he could accept the rematch, a loud rumbling sound came from his stomach. He desired to eat something. 

 

“If it’s a rematch you want, wait a minute. I’m going to eat something first, then we’ll begin”, Ryu said as he walked off to a small set of trees. Juri watched as he walked away, somewhat dumbfounded at what he said. 

 

“Did he really just…?”, Juri thought. 

 

With nothing else to do, Juri followed behind him. She grew curious as to what the world’s strongest warrior ate out in the middle of nowhere. 

 

Sitting down, Ryu reached around for his duffel bag he carried around with him everywhere. Pulling out a bag of rice and herbs, he threw them in a pot already filled with water. Lighting a small fire, he saw Juri following behind. 

 

“So this is what you eat? Rice? Seems pretty bland”, Juri said as she looked at the pot. 

 

“It’s not too bad of a meal, actually. I drink the water used to boil it as tea, would you like to try it?”, Ryu offered. 

 

“Heh, why not? A girl can’t break a set of ribs on an empty stomach”, Juri said as she accepted the offer. A small, wooden cup being handed to her by Ryu, he filled it with a semi-transparent, green liquid. After that, he gave her a pair of chopsticks. She was befuddled by his hospitality, even when he was completely aware of her intentions for coming all the way back out here. 

 

Sipping the tea, Juri’s eyes widened and she spit it out in disgust. 

 

PFT

 

“UGH! This is what you call tea?! It SUCKS!”

 

“You’d be surprised at how fast you get used to the taste once you learn to swallow it fast. Try again.”, Ryu responded. 

 

“Maybe I’ll pass, let me try this.”

 

Taking a bite out of the rice, Juri actually enjoyed the added flavor of the herbs. Thinking back, it even reminded her a bit of the rice her mom used to cook for her way back when. 

 

“Food’s ready, pumpkin!”

 

“Guess this isn’t too bad. The way you fight sure doesn’t match your cooking”, Juri said with a cackle. She began watching Ryu eat, observing his every move. It was almost as if even while eating, he was doing a training method of some kind. The moment he finished his rice, Juri thought of something. 

 

“THINK FAST!” 

 

Juri launched a kick which raced upwards towards Ryu’s chin, knocking the bowl and chopsticks away from his hand. The kick failed to connect, however, as Ryu caught it last second, mere centimeters away from making contact. 

 

“Perhaps we won’t have our rematch yet. That kick would have struck me had you been fully healed, seems like that isn’t the case yet, Juri”, Ryu said with an insightful tone, much to her aggravation. 

 

“Ha! Well if you wanna make sure your beating is as painful as possible, I can wait”, Juri said with a giggle. 

 

As the sun began to set, Ryu got up and began making his way back to the old temple. He had a habit of walking off without a word. Duffel bag thrown over his shoulder, he made way. Juri rolled her eyes, and followed a yard behind.

 

“What are ya up to now, homeless man?”

 

“I’m going to meditate once again before I get some rest. Perhaps you should try the same, it really does help one gr-”

 

“Blah blah blah again with the yoga talk. Not my taste”, Juri said in a mocking tone. Nonetheless, she did find it funny how at every turn, he somehow always had to relate something to growth. 

 

Ryu wasn’t surprised at the response. Nevertheless, he initiated his meditation. 

 

“Well, since I got nothing else to do, I’ll just stick around till we can finally go at it again. This girl needs to have a good time sooner or later”, Juri said with a lick to her lips. 

 

“If I can’t get him to respond all that often, guess I’ll get creative”, Juri thought. 

 

Walking out of the temple, she looked around the bushes. There had to be a spider somewhere, and sure enough, there was. She grabbed what seemed to be a tarantula, no bigger than the palm of her hand, and let it walk around her arm. Walking back to the temple, she creeped up to Ryu. Although aware he could sense her, that wasn’t what a problem. Setting the tarantula on Ryu’s back, she backed away slowly. 

 

“Ya got something on your back, handsome.”

 

Ryu did in fact feel something on his back. Feeling around for it and taking hold, he brought it to the front of his sights and nearly had a heart attack as he saw what it was.

 

“GAHH!”, Ryu screamed as he chucked it several yards away into a bunch of bushes. If there was something Ryu was not fond of, it was spiders. Especially the larger ones. 

 

“AHAHAHAHA! You can’t be serious… the world champ, is scared of SPIDERS? AHAHAHAHA!”, Juri said as she laughed hysterically, wheezing, holding her stomach. 

 

Feeling embarrassed, Ryu’s face blushed slightly. There was no denying his arachnophobia. 

 

“Very funny, Juri…”, Ryu said as he readjusted his composure. 

 

“Oh trust me, I know”, Juri said as she wiped a tear of laughter away. 

 

Juri had just found another source of entertainment. And she wasn’t done abusing it just yet. 

 

Taking her boots off and setting them to the side, she decided to set a few feet away from Ryu. Then, she began stretching her left leg, ever so cautiously missing his face. Up until she jabbed her toe into his right cheek. 

 

“Oops, sorry about that, handsome.”

 

She did it again. 

 

“Oops, excuse me.” 

 

And again. 

 

“Yeesh, maybe I ought to move somewhere else, what do you think?”

 

Opening his eyes, Ryu took a glance at Juri. She stared off into the air, acting as if she wasn’t aware of wha she was doing. Letting out a deep breath, Ryu realized having this woman around would perhaps be another form of training and growth of its own. 

 

“Perhaps… is this another obstacle I must face? But what obstacle exactly? Is this another form of training?”, Ryu pondered. Thinking a little more, he couldn’t help but find Juri attractive herself. 

 

“Notice you taking a look at me, handsome. Looks like you like my new fit, don’t blame you, though”, Juri said as she lifted her eye patch to give a wink. 

 

“Oh, no, I didn't, erm..” 

 

“HA! Oh man this is precious, the world champion seems a little shy with girls…”, Juri mused as she placed her hands on her hips. 

 

“No, it’s not like that, no-”

 

“Oh don’t be such a stick in the mud. Only teasing, tough guy”, she said in amusement. 

 

“Uh, well, I think I’m going to get some rest now. Perhaps you should as well, if you plan on fully recovering for our next battle.”

 

“This early? Didn’t know the philosophy man was so eager to get in bed with me yet…”, Juri teased, and she got just the reaction she was looking for. 

 

“No, no! I didn’t mean us sleeping together! I meant, well, you see, I rest over here, you, well, wherever you want!”, Ryu said, as he felt his face becoming a bright pink. 

 

“Oh, wherever I want, huh? Maybe with you then!” 

 

“Uh, look, I-”

 

“Don’t sweat it, tough guy! Just busting your balls. And let me just say, it’s hilarious!”, Juri let out a laugh as she walked over to where she was set on resting. 

 

At this very moment, Ryu had never been in this sort of situation before. Out of all the opponents he’s ever fought, every situation he’s found himself in, none could possibly bear resemblance to what he was in now. Teased relentlessly by a very suggestive woman, who just also happened to fight viciously. This was truly a new experience for him. 

 

“Just what kind of person is Juri, truly?”, Ryu thought to himself, utterly befuddled. 

 

Setting his duffel bag as a pillow, he laid down, and allowed his body to relax. 

 

Juri, finding her spot to rest on, looked off into the stars. 

 

“Guess I’ll be having more fun than I thought. This guy is just a total treat”, she thought. 

 

With both Ryu and Juri being polar opposites to each other, neither could really tell what exactly ignited both of their curiosity of each other. Ryu viewed Juri as a total mystery, a threat still, but more of a mystery than threat. And Juri viewed Ryu as a strong and entertaining opponent, though as of recently, much more entertaining. 

 

Or perhaps, a deeper attraction between the two had started to develop, with neither of them being aware of it in the slightest.

Chapter 5: The Spider's Proposition

“Accept it… I am the strongest part of you!” 

 

Ryu shot up from the temple floor, looking around and trying to locate the source of voice. Something felt strange, however, as the area looked somewhat out of place and barren. That’s when he heard a chuckle behind him. It wasn’t Juri. It sounded demonic in nature.

 

A bit like himself. 

 

Turning around, Ryu began facing the back of an individual. Body built all too similar to his, a red band around his neck which seemed nearly identical to his. Wearing no shirt, only the bottom half of a gi which was a dark, aqua color. On the sides of his head, two small, glowing purple horns. A kanji glowed on his back. 

 

滅

 

The figure turned around to face Ryu, facing him at last. Upon sight of the individual’s face, Ryu was shocked to his core.

 

A face which was a carbon copy of Ryu, except it was different. An underbite jaw, with two fangs sticking out from the bottom. Eyes full of contempt and evil, with a black sclera and red irises. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

“Fool, don’t pretend you don't know. I am you, and the strongest part of you, no less! Hahahaha…” 

 

“No!” Ryu shouted as he woke up from what seemed to be a dream, with beams of sunlight shining down on the floor, he looked around once more. 

 

“Just a dream”, Ryu thought. 

 

“Well good mornin’, sunshine. Was watching ya toss and turn there, was kind of funny to be honest.” Juri said, as she sat a few meters away, cross legged. 

 

“Good morning, Juri. How was your rest last night?” 

 

Ryu spoke politely to Juri. Just as he thought to himself before, perhaps speaking to her like any other person would help her grow, and by extension, help himself grow as well. But he did internally admit to himself that she has quite the character on her. 

 

“I guess you can say sleeping on a hard floor isn’t all that comfortable for a girl like me”, Juri responded. 

 

“I see”, Ryu said. 

 

“What was all that when you woke up all of a sudden, tough guy? Having a nightmare? Ha!” Juri said in a mocking tone with a laugh. 

 

Ryu was reminded of his very recent dream. The figure he saw whom bared a spitting similarity to him was burned into his mind. All that emanated from the entity was the same feeling that Satsui no Hadou gave off. As if he was being tempted by someone, or something. Or himself, perhaps. 

 

“That… was nothing. I am going to train and meditate by the waterfall. You may do as you please, if you wish to stay, stay.”

 

“Pft! As if I’d leave when I finally got something entertaining to do”, Juri thought to herself. Yawning, she stretched her arms. That’s when a thought came to her mind. 

 

“Ya know, for being about as boring as a rock, you’ve sure got a resume on you. Little bird told me you got something known as a killing intent”, Juri said with a sinister looking smile. 

 

“That is the Satsui no Hadou. I do not bend to it. Never have, and never will” Ryu responded. 

 

“Ah, why not?! Sounds like fun to me! Wouldn’t you get a kick out of just going right for the killing blow whenever? Sounds like a waste for the world champ not to use it.” 

 

“No, you don’t understand, Juri. I fight to grow. The Hadou, when it takes over someone, sends them down a path of the desire to kill and destruction. It causes you to discard your humanity. Even you would find it abhorrent-” 

 

“Ohhhh no not another philosophy lesson… Boring!”, Juri interrupted. 

 

Ryu wasn’t surprised at the response. After all, Juri didn’t seem to be a person who cared much about deeper meanings as far as he knew. With that, he made his way to the waterfall. Suddenly, a voice began cackling into his head. The same voice as the entity in his dream. 

 

“Hahaha… She has a point. Why not just succumb to the Hadou and reach your full potential? Accept it!” 

 

Ryu began holding his head as a headache washed over him all of a sudden. He could feel a dark ki building up inside of him. 

 

“No… I can’t. I won’t…”, Ryu began thinking. 

 

“That old fool may have sealed me, or should I say, you off inside. But the brighter the light, the larger the shadow it casts-” 

 

The voice and the headache disappeared in a split second as Juri jumped onto Ryu’s torso from behind, locking her legs around him and holding him in a headlock. 

 

“HA! Got ya! Let’s see ya get out of this one, tough guy!” 

 

Effortlessly, Ryu escaped Juri’s hold, but as he had his hands on her to get her off, the both of them paused. What Ryu did not notice was that he had unintentionally left his hand on Juri’s left buttocks, and the right hand on her waist. 

 

Both stared into each other’s eyes for a few seconds. 

 

Juri was left in a state of shock, and felt something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Once again, she felt feelings that she couldn’t quite process. It might have been related to Ryu holding her in places she was sensitive in, or it was perhaps something else. For a fleeting moment, she felt a strange sense of safety. And this was causing her mind to suddenly go haywire. But making eye contact with Ryu kept Juri in a trance of some kind. His eyes were speaking to her, in a way. In a way she had never experienced before. 

 

Perhaps it was warmth? Compassion? Two things she hadn’t been shown for years. 

 

Ryu did not mean to keep his hands placed where they were, but for some reason, there they remained. Though Juri had an eyepatch on, he was able to look right into her right eye. Her true eye. Just like when they fought, Ryu had caught himself in her sights. The cockiness and unpredictable look in her eye was gone. Now, it seemed to be filled with confusion, sadness, and loneliness. 

 

After five seconds, both snapped out of it. 

 

“Oh, um, excuse me”, Ryu said he let go of Juri and placed her down on her feet. 

 

“Looks like someone was enjoying themselves a bit too much there…”, Juri said as she cracked a smile and licked her lips. 

 

“Uh, well you see, well, I just didn’t um, notice, was checking my technique! Just lost my focus there for a second, not sure why. I apologize if I violated your personal space”, Ryu said, as he grew flustered. 

 

As experienced a fighter as Ryu was, this kind of situation simply wasn’t his forte. He decided it was time to change the subject.

 

“Juri, why did you ever end up working for SIN? For Seth?” 

 

Juri was surprised Ryu had initiated this kind of conversation. 

 

“Heh, guess you can say I just despised Bison’s guts as much as the next person. Planned to have both fight and kill each other. The body suit just couldn’t pull it off and got himself killed, though”, Juri said as she walked around with her hands crossed behind and above her head. 

 

“What? You wanted Bison gone? Siding with evil to stop other evil never leads to a path forward’, Ryu responded. 

 

“Agh, don’t get it mixed up, macho man. I hate Bison for my own reasons, it doesn't have to do with right or wrong. A bit too boring for this girl’s taste”, she responded with a chuckle. 

 

“I’m assuming that Bison took your eye?-”

 

“TOOK WAY MORE THAN THAT! AND THAT’S ALL YOU GOTTA KNOW! GOT IT?” Juri screamed as she sent a heavy, powerful kick powered by her Feng Shui engine to Ryu’s right side. Managing to block it just in time, it still sent Ryu sliding back a few inches. 

 

Once more, Juri’s eye changed for a fleeting moment. 

 

“I apologize, Juri. Did not mean to get into your past.” 

 

Regaining her composure, Juri let out a small breath. Once again, she felt very confused and strange at Ryu’s response to her sudden outburst. Anyone else would have either been mortally wounded from that attack, or initiated her in combat. Yet Ryu, instead of either of those, went as far as to apologize for inciting her rage. 

 

“You’re let off the hook… this time”, Juri said with a devilish grin.

 

Ryu nodded, as he sat down to meditate. Juri observed him, and this time sat right across from him, since there was really nothing better to do. 

 

“Now that I think about it… does he ever even change that gi? Does he wash it?”, Juri began thinking to herself. These thoughts were starting to amuse her. 

 

“Say, stone face, you ever change your outfit? Or do you just wear those rags every day?”

 

Ryu opened his eyes. 

 

“I do wear them everyday. They’re the best thing to fight and train in. Feels more relaxing than wearing regular clothing.” 

 

“No footwear either, huh?” 

 

“No, not at all. I’ve embraced fully feeling the Eart-”

 

“Of course, more yoga mumbo jumbo”, Juri said as she gave a small chuckle. 

 

Ryu gave off a small smile. He expected this retort. 

 

“Do you at least wash that thing?”, Juri asked as her nose wrinkled slightly. 

 

“I do”, Ryu responded plainly. 

 

“Then what do ya wear when you’re washing it?” 

 

“Oh, I have an under garment.” 

 

“So the world champ washes his one and only outfit half naked in the middle of the forest? Feel like I learn something new every day”, Juri said as she looked at Ryu up and down suggestively, on purpose to get a reaction out of him. Though he seemed oblivious to it, she needed to be more direct. 

 

“Hey… I’ve got one fit for now too, maybe we’ll just wash our clothes bare together!” 

 

“Huh? Oh, no uh, that’s alright, Juri. I will wash it somewhere else, and you can as well!”, Ryu said as his face went as red as his headband. 

 

“Nah. I think I wanna wash it right next to you, handsome!”, Juri said as she started steadily creeping closer to Ryu. 

 

“Uhh no! I don’t think so! Really, you’ll find it so much better if you just wash it on your own, more room to yourself!” 

 

“Aww, what, are you saying this girl’s not good lookin’ enough to be around half naked?” 

 

The thought of Juri nearly nude had made Ryu’s face even more blushed than before. While he had bested her in their first fight, it seems he had no defenses against these kinds of attacks. 

 

“No! You’re not bad looking at all! You look very, very fine!”

 

“Oh? So does that mean you’re thinking about it? Wanna feel me up real close now, don’t cha?!” 

 

“Didn’t mean it like that, Juri! Truly! You see, I-” 

 

Juri could contain her laughter no longer. 

 

“PfffttTTT AAAAHAAHAAHAA! THIS is just so PRICELESS! AAHAHA!” 

 

Ryu scratched the back of his head. He was dumbfounded. Why was it that of all things, this flustered him the most? 

 

It perhaps had to do with the fact that Ryu did in fact find Juri quite attractive. 

 

“She is an attractive woman, strong as well. But these thoughts will just throw me off balance… or am I just inexperienced?”, he pondered. 

 

After wiping away tears of laughter, Juri paced around in circles around Ryu. 

 

“Ya know, you really are a treat! Guess fighting isn’t the only thing you’re good for, ‘cause you sure do know how to keep a girl entertained!”, she said as she let out another laugh. 

 

Ryu let out a nervous chuckle, as he didn’t quite know what to make of her words. A compliment? He did not quite know. 

 

An idea had suddenly come to Juri’s mind. 

 

“I got a bet for you, champ”, Juri said as she licked her lips. 

 

“What is it?”

 

“Let’s have a little spar. If I get one hit on you… hmmm... “

 

Juri paced around the waterfall as she pondered her proposition. Then it came to her like a lightbulb. She had grown more curious of Ryu by the second, and she had the perfect plan see a bit more of him outside of fighting. 

 

“... if I get just one drop on ya, you have to take a walk with yours truly through the city. Somewhere you probably go once every ten years.” 

 

“I acce-”

 

“AND I get to pick an outfit for you as well, macho man. Don’t even think you’re coming in those glorified pajamas.”

 

As Ryu held his chin in his right hand, Juri had picked up a large spider that wasn’t too far out of reach from the small bush a couple feet away from her. As he remained distracted in his thoughts, she hid it inside her sleeve. 

 

“Alright, I accept your offer, Juri. Let’s do this”, Ryu said as he got into his fighting posture. 

 

“Now that’s what I’m talking about! Give me everything you’ve got or else!” 

 

As Ryu dashed towards Juri, she jumped up into the air, her legs doing a vertical split.. As she landed, she swung her right leg and jabbed it into Ryu’s stomach unexpectedly. It managed to connect, which had caught him by surprise. 

 

“Like that?”, Juri said with a grin. 

 

Ryu took the chance to take hold of her leg and toss her overhead. This is what Juri was waiting for. As he was about to throw her, she slipped the spider out of her sleeve and let it fall onto Ryu’s shoulder. 

 

He noticed on the spot. 

 

“GAH!” 

 

‘THERE!”, Juri shouted as she dropped onto a handstand- like position, waist curved, and swept her left leg under Ryu’s legs, successfully dropping him to the ground. 

 

Juri stood triumphantly over Ryu as he got back up on his feet. 

 

“Looks like I won this bet”, she said with a giggle. 

 

“I guess you did, Juri. So when exactly did you want to walk through the city?” 

 

“How ‘bout tonight? I’ll bring your new fit, handpicked by yours truly. Shouldn’t take me longer than a few hours to get back”, she said as placed her hands on her hips. 

 

“Alright then. I’ll be waiting in the same place”, Ryu responded. 

 

“Better be if you know what’s good for ya”, she said with a wink. 

 

As Ryu nodded, Juri walked off to the direction she came from prior when she went to change her clothes. 

 

Ryu sat there, once again finding himself learning something new about his own mind. He could see that Juri was unlike any person she had ever met. A clouded past he knew very little about, yet a personality as particular as any he had ever seen up to this point. He came tot he realization that he had just happened to agree to a date. 

 

“Ya know Ryu, sometimes you just gotta ease up and get out there with a girl! That’s how I met Eliza, and look where we’re at now!” 

 

Ryu had pondered back to what Ken had told him long ago. Ken had always tried motivating Ryu to take a small break and lay back easy every now and then, maybe even get to know a girl in his spare time. But he never thought much of things like that. All that he had on his mind daily was training and growing his understanding of the Power of Nothingness. 

 

Yet this very unique and bombastic woman had just suddenly waltzed into his world.

 

As Juri walked off, she couldn’t help but feel a very certain and alien way. What exactly made her think of this bet? She was no doubt curious of the man, but she almost seemed to feel excited to even bring him along for this kind of occasion. Once again, she felt very conflicted and confused. She just simply didn’t know how to deal with these kinds of feelings, given her tragic past which had left a portion of her broken beyond repair for so long.

 

Although she doesn’t realize it now, something about Ryu is slowly making her feel at peace and perhaps even feel like there is someone out there who doesn’t just view her as an enemy. 

 

Without even knowing it, Juri has begun to grow a bit fond of Ryu. And by extension, Ryu has begun to grow fond of her as well in just the short span of time they’ve interacted with each other. 

 

But let it be known that a growth between two warriors of the opposite sex cannot simply be limited to what others would count as two days. For Ryu and Juri, it was something beyond ordinary.

Chapter 6: A Spider Shops

Juri had made her way through the woods and back to the city area of Osaka. Since it was barely afternoon, the streets were bustling with people. Many on their way to work, others to school, and some simply as tourists. 

 

Giggling to herself as she walked down the street, Juri couldn’t help but feel a growing excitement to pick herself a new outfit alongside the one she’d pick out for Ryu. 

 

“Heh, lady’s first. I’ll be picking my outfit first”, she thought to herself. 

 

As she continued walking, many took short glances at Juri. Her walk, which consisted of her moving her hips side to side, and the sheer aura of intimidation she gave off was enough to make people step out of the way. Suddenly, she felt a bump in her right leg. 

 

A little boy, no older than seven, had walked into her right side and stumbled back, dropping a notebook. 

 

“Sorry! I was looking for my mom.”

 

Juri took a short look at the boy. So young and innocent. She remembered when she was just like that. Not a worry in the world, her parents still alive, making sure she was living comfortably each and every day. In a way, she envied the child even though she was simply making assumptions about how he could possibly be living. 

 

What she did not notice, however, was that the boy seemed to have been growing afraid. Mostly due to her facial features, constantly in a state of ferocity by default. 

 

“Why don’t you just move along, kiddo.” 

 

The boy quickly walked around her, meeting his parents soon after.

 

This sight pained her, in a way. 

 

She kept on walking until she spotted a strip plaza mall a few blocks down. With a plethora of stores lined up, Juri decided that’s where she’d shop. Or shoplift.

 

“Well if it isn’t my lucky day… I’ll start here”, she told herself curtly. 

 

Juri walked into a store called “NORTH STAR FIT.” It was divided down the middle, one side men’s fit, the other side women’s fit. The floor was made of a black marble material, with a white, sparkly dots scattered all over. The ceiling had multiple light fixtures which resembled the big dipper constellation. 

 

She took her time as she walked down the women section, stroking her chin as she took in the mass array of clothing.

 

“Hmmm… I really need a crop top. Let’s see, this one? Ugh, never. Maybe this red one? Bleh, not in a thousand years…” 

 

At last, after shifting through dozens of different shirts and crop tops, she stumbled upon one which she found just right. It was white, just barely exposed on the sides. A pink, vaguely spider like pattern on the front. 

 

“Just what this girl needs!”, she told herself gleefully. 

 

Next, she decided to look for something in the men’s section. She nearly gagged in disgust as she took sight of what kind of God forsaken men’s clothing they had. 

 

“Oh no, no, no, no, nope not this… who would wear this stuff anyways?” 

 

Juri took hold of what seemed to be a two piece shirt. A leathery fabric, sleeveless navy blue shirt. Underneath, a sleeveless orange shirt. The navy blue outer part was V necked, showing off the orange interior. Not only that, but they seemed to come with a pair of accessories. They were what seemed to be shoulder pads. 

 

“This is way too tacky”, Juri said out loud as she tossed the shirt to the side. 

 

Making her way to the pants section of the men aisles, she finally seemed to have found a pair which she had taken a liking to. Grabbing them, she took a good look at them. A pair of denim, navy blue pants. But the material seemed to have a strange texture to it. It wasn’t meant to be tight, but somewhat of a slim fit. Though not baggy, like mom jeans Ryu probably would’ve handpicked himself if he had to make a choice.

 

“Guess these will do. Wonder what pajama boy will think of these”, she thought. 

 

Juri shoplifted as she walked out of the store without paying, and made her way to the next store. 

 

Walking a few yards, she came across a store called “MORTAL KLOTHES.” She entered past the sliding doors.

 

The store itself had chandeliers on the ceiling, with light bulbs resembling torches. The floor had a series of two by two foot tiles, with a dragon symbol embedded in every few. 

 

“I need to find myself a pair of pants, and a shirt for yoga man.” 

 

Walking along the sections, she came across a pair of black pants. Soft to the touch, they seemed very similar to leggings. Juri favored these kinds of pants, and more so because they’d pronounce her hind curves in front of Ryu. 

 

“Taking these with me”, she told herself. 

 

Walking to the men’s section, she easily spotted white shirt. It seemed to reflect light in an almost neon like fashion. She liked it. 

 

“This’ll really make his muscles stand out”, Juri said as she licked her lips. 

 

She suddenly remembered that she needed to find new pairs of footwear, for both Ryu and herself. Walking out of the store once again without paying, much to the dismay of the cashier, she made her way to the next store over. 

 

This next store was called “DRAG-ON BZ FOOTWEAR.” Upon entering the store, Juri took notice of her surroundings. The floor, which consisted of a long, green, winding dragon stretching and curving all along the floor. The ceiling had paintings of yellow, puffy clouds which were cartoonish in nature. A total of seven, spherical light bulbs which were crystalline and orange in color. 

 

Waltzing over to the shoes, she came across a pair of women's shoes which seemed similar to slippers, with only her toes being covered and the rest of her foot exposed. She passed, and instead grabbed a pair of flat sole sandals which would easily leave her pink toenails out and about. A pattern just barely holding her foot inside and secured. 

 

“Oh yeah, these are coming with me. Guess I need to find his pair next.” 

 

Walking to the men’s shoes, her face contorted in disgust as she took sight of the unholy looking shoes. One pair, a set of what seemed to be steel boots, blue in color with an orange line running on the edges. 

 

“Not this…”

 

Another pair of shoes, what seemed to be ankle high and brown. Pointed on the edges. 

 

“Are there really people out there who would wear brown paper bags on their feet? Agh!” 

 

The next pair, a set of white, leathery boots which had a yellow tip on the end. Juri couldn't believe they were the last pair available. 

 

“I’d kick whoever I see wearing these repeatedly…”, she thought out loud. 

 

At last, she had found a pair of normal looking shoes. They were black and white, with black shoe laces. Not low top, but not high top either. Just right. 

 

“These won’t go too bad on him, I guess.” 

 

Exiting the store, Juri decided she just needed one more thing: some wristwear. She headed over to the store not too far away which was called “1ONE JEWEL.” Walking inside, she found exactly what she was looking for. A pair of matching bracelets, fuschia in color. They had a glossy texture to them. 

 

“Perfect, now I just need to get my hair fixed up.”

 

Walking out as the store manager yelled for her to return and pay, she went off to the closest public bathroom she could find. But not before walking by a store which sold hair products, snatching them and making her way. 

 

She began changing into her outfit. After it was said and done, she admired her new fit in the mirror. She couldn’t help but admire how good the pants made her curves look. It was almost like a second layer of black skin. Her crop top fit her perfectly, also pronouncing her chest. Now it was time to fix her hair. 

 

She rarely let her hair down, and she decided it was time to do so. She started off by taking the rings out of her two horn-like buns. They fell down, just an inch or two below her shoulders. Tucking the hair rings into her pocket, she took one of the hair products. 

 

It was a medium sized brush, its bristles tailored to straight hair. Brushing her hair steadily, Juri admired the jet black color. She made an extra effort to make sure her bangs were straight. It had been a long time since she had let her hair down like this. 

 

“Whew! Look at the girl! Might even take myself out on a date”, Juri told herself as she giggled. 

 

After a few more minutes of hair brushing, Juri was done. Setting the brush to the side, she posed in the mirror. 

 

“The eye patch has gotta go.”

 

Removing her eye patch, she took her contact out and placed it on her mismatched Feng Shui engine. Now, her new fit was truly complete. 

 

“Just oneee more finishing touch…”, Juri said as she took out a pink lipstick from her back pocket, applying it to her bottom lip and puckering them to fully spread it. 

 

“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.”

 

Kicking the door bathroom door open in one swift motion, Juri strode out of there and began her tread back to Ryu’s place. By the time she would get back, the sun would begin to set. Perfect timing. Chucking the clothes she had picked out for him in a bag, along with her previous fit, Juri giggled in anticipation for the date night ahead. 

 

For the first time in years, Juri was looking forward to something which didn’t involve maiming or even killing someone. 

“Hmpfff…” 

 

Ryu sat in a cross legged position inside of the temple. In a deep state of meditation, a light blue aura emanated from his body like a calm flame. He opened his eyes and stood up as he felt an approaching ki and the sound footsteps got closer. 

 

“Guess who’s back?”

 

Taking a look at Juri’s new outfit, Ryu couldn’t stop himself from observing how much it brought out her curves. He even admitted to himself that she did look very attractive with her hair down, more than he’d like to admit. One of the most physically stunning females he’d ever seen. Her pink lipstick truly made her lips stand out to him, as they had a glossy surface.

 

“Cat got your tongue? Mmm, guess I really did pick out a good outfit! I’ll take the silent compliment”, Juri said with a wink. 

 

“Oh!, Uh, um, hello Juri, that was quick. How was your walk?” 

 

“Guess you can say it was fun for this girl. Put this on”, Juri said as she threw clothes at Ryu. 

 

Ryu caught them, and took a careful look at what Juri had picked out for him. 

 

“Hmm… shirt, pants, and… shoes?”, Ryu asked inquisitively. 

 

“Duh! You really think I’d let you wear the outfit without any shoes? Are ya out of touch or something?” 

 

Now that Ryu thought about it, he was indeed out of touch with footwear and such. He preferred being barefoot to feel more connected to the ground. 

 

“You know, I haven’t worn these kinds of clothes in a long time.”

 

“I can tell, tough guy. Now go off and change so we can get a move on.” 

 

“Just give me a second”, Ryu said as he walked behind a pillar in the temple and took off his gi. Putting on the pair of jeans felt new to him, mostly due to the fact that he couldn’t even remember just how long it had been since he wore them. Putting his shirt on, he didn’t mind the smooth feeling all that badly. Putting on his shoes, however, felt alien. Tying them especially, but he managed. Putting his gi into his duffel bag, he fastened it and placed it to the side. 

 

Stepping out from behind the pillar, Juri took in the sight of Ryu in his new set of clothing. 

 

“Woah, didn’t think he’d pull it off this good…”, Juri thought to herself, licking her lips. 

 

With his new white shirt on, Juri took a hard look at the way his pectorals stuck out of his shirt slightly. His arms caused the sleeves to just barely struggle holding in the muscle, and surely the back of the shirt would be pressed against his trapezius. 

 

The jeans fit him just right. Not right, but not loose. And his shoes actually went quite well on him. A very good casual appeal.

 

Ryu had caught sight of Juri licking her lips, causing him to scratch the back of his head and blushing.

 

“You know, for a boring stick in the mud, you could pull off a casual look”, Juri complimented. 

 

“Thank you Juri, you don’t look too bad yourself.” 

 

Juri decided she wanted to tease and press him, and so she began walking right up to him, mere inches away from his face.

 

“Ohhh do I now? What doesn’t look sooo bad, exactly? Hmm?” Juri said as she stared Ryu in the eyes. 

 

Ryu, caught like a deer in the headlights, didn’t know what to say exactly. He did in fact find Juri quite attractive in her current outfit, he wasn’t sure what he’d say. 

 

“Well, your hair… seems very good when let down! It brings out your face and… pants.” 

 

“Pft! Never heard that one before, but I’ll take it. Oh and take off that forehead wrap will ya? Way too tacky for the outfit.” 

 

“I suppose”, Ryu said as she took off his headband and tucked it into the duffel bag. 

 

“So, when are we heading off to the city, Juri?” 

 

“Let’s get going now, champ. Should be nice and dark out by the time we get there”, Juri said with enthusiasm. 

 

Enthusiasm she didn’t even notice. 

 

“Alright, let’s go”, Ryu said as they both began their walk. 

 

After a few seconds of silent walking, Juri jumped up into the air and onto Ryu’s back. 

 

“Don’t mind this girl, I’ve already done enough walkin’ today. I think I deserve a ride since I got you your outfit, don’t you think?” Juri said with a grin. 

 

“Um, if you, uh want to. Fine.” 

 

“Wasn’t gonna get off anyway, now giddy up!” Juri said in amusement and placed her hands around Ryu’s neck. She was enjoying herself all too much as she could feel Ryu blushing and just simply not knowing what to say or do. She could clearly tell that while he was a powerful martial artist, he wasn’t much of a lady’s man. 

 

This made it all the more entertaining for her, and she decided she wanted to make it even more entertaining. 

 

“Don’t even think you’ll be giving me a ride… on something else”, Juri said right on Ryu’s ear. 

 

Ryu’s face shot a bright red, his mind racing a mile a second attempting to put together a response to this. 

 

“UH, not sure what, you, um, mean! It’s going to be a long walk down. Where are we going exactly int he city?” 

 

Juri let out a laugh as she got just what she wanted. 

 

“We’ll see once we get there, tough guy.” 

 

The both making their way to the city, neither Juri nor Ryu are aware of the bond they’re about to make tonight. Juri didn’t process it herself quite yet, but she was quite excited and even satisfied with the fact that she’d be going on a date of sorts with Ryu, even though she’d only known him for a few days. Ryu himself didn’t quite know what it was, but he felt as if the few days he’s known her felt much more thna that. 

 

Soon, however, the bond between a calm and wild wind is nearing its beginning.

Chapter 7: Bond of Warrior and Spider

Ryu and Juri had finally made it to the city area, deep out of the forest filled mountains. Jumping down from his back, Juri gave him a playful, but hard, smack to the back. 

 

“See? That wasn’t so bad was it?”, she said as she patted down his back. 

 

“No, not at all. So where are we heading now?” 

 

“Mmm, how about… down there?”, Juri said as she pointed in the direction of a long street, lit up by several neon signs and posts. 

 

“Alright, let’s go.” 

 

“Ha! I knew you weren’t such a stick in the mud after all”, she said as they began their walk. 

 

As the two were walking down the bustling streets of Osaka, Ryu took in the sight seeing of the city. Usually spending most of his time in the forests, the neon lights were truly eye-catching to him. Vastly different than what he was usually around. Stores of all kinds, people wearing varying outfits. Usually, he would only rarely pass by a place like this if he decided it was time to travel and possibly encounter a few strong fighters along the way. Other times, it was to catch a plane ride and visit Ken in the United States.

 

As Ryu continues taking in his surroundings, Juri couldn’t help but observe him doing so. It amused her in a way, one of the world’s strongest warriors looking at the stores and lights as if they were almost foreign to him. It intrigued her to no end. But that just gave her an idea. 

 

“How about I spice things up for macho man here”, she thought. 

 

A minute later, Juri slid her right arm around Ryu’s left arm without saying a word. Seeing as how he seemed to be very inexperienced with women outside of fighting, she knew she’d get a kick out of this.

 

And she was right about that. 

 

Ryu’s arm tensed up, his muscles flexing at the soft and sudden hold of his arm. He swallowed, and mustered the courage to inquire Juri on what exactly she was doing, for he did not know what this meant. 

 

“Oh… did you lose your.. Balance, Juri?” 

 

“Me? Nah, I just wanted to have a strong arm to hang onto. Feels real nice the more I think about it...”, Juri told Ryu with a wink. 

 

“Ah.. I see. So… Do you want to eat something?”, Ryu said, his cheeks pink. 

 

“Thought you’d never ask! Whatcha had in mind?” 

 

“How about that place right there?” 

 

Ryu pointed out a restaurant, known as “Go Eat Korean BBQ.” The aroma of the delicious food had subtly made its way to the both of them. 

 

“Heh, alright. You lead the way, handsome.” 

 

Entering the restaurant, Ryu and Juri made their way to a booth area, making themselves comfortable. A waiter had stopped by and dropped off two glasses of water with a lemon slice on top of each. 

 

“This place seems pretty fancy, don’t ya think? Trying to impress this girl, aren’t ya?”, Juri teased. 

 

“Never actually been here before. Might be the first time I try Korean food”, Ryu responded. 

 

“Heh, I know a thing or two about Korean food myself”, she replied as she took a sip out of her glass of water.

 

“Oh really? How is it?”

 

“Isn't it already obvious, yoga man? I’m South Korean”, Juri said in amusement. 

 

Ryu had noticed something. Juri seemed to be distracted by something. As if in deep thought. She had been observing the inside surroundings, almost as if she was reminiscing of something. Perhaps of her past before she got involved with SIN? Before she became who she is now?  

 

Suddenly, Juri’s line of sight fell back on Ryu. He could feel his right leg beginning to move up and down slightly, mostly due to the fact that he couldn’t stop himself from taking in Juri’s beauty. Her straightened hair and bright pink lip gloss truly brought out the best of her face. Her smug and confident face was also very appealing to him. But he did not want to make that apparent. 

 

Juri didn’t even attempt hiding her gaze. She was quite proud of the outfit she picked for Ryu. It fit him just right. Casual and plain, yet it suited him. His muscular form was very distinct to her. Out of all the men she’s ever seen throughout the years, he seemed to have been the most attractive she’s seen thus far. 

 

“Looks even more handsome without the karate get up”, she thought to herself. 

 

“Good evening. I will be back in a minute to take your order”, said the waiter, dropping a pair of menus at the table. 

 

Ryu couldn’t shake off the feeling that the waiter seemed familiar to him in a way. The elderly waiter was an old man, back hunched ever so slightly. His gray hair tied into a bun and flowing ever so slightly beneath his neck, but his face was concealed by large sunglasses. Wrinkled skin, couldn’t be younger than eighty. A long beard to boot.

 

Dismissing the thought, he turned his attention to the food menu. If there was something Ryu was nearly as passionate about as fighting, it was food. And the large selection within his palms caused his mouth to water. 

 

As Juri flipped through the pages of the menu, she found herself in a state of nostalgia. In truth, she hadn’t been to a Korean restaurant in years. 

 

That’s when memories began flooding her mind.

 

“Juri honey, don’t forget to wash your hands before touching your food! It should be here any second now…”, her mother said as she patted her head. 

 

“Yes mama, I’ll go right now.”

 

Staring down with a blank expression, Juri snapped out of her trance to the arrival of the waiter. 

 

“My apologies for disrupting, but I almost forgot to drop this”, said the elderly waiter. 

 

It was a pair of small, glass cups. Each filled with a red colored liquid. 

 

“These are samples for out new and upcoming beverages. Why not take a taste? Afterall, they are aimed at couples spending a romantic night with each other, ho ho ho!” 

 

Ryu’s face went red once again, as Juri shot him a coy smile.

 

“Ya hear that, tough guy? Guess we’re just a whole new couple now, aren’t we? Ha!” 

 

The waiter grinned and walked away from the table, nodding his head constantly. 

 

“So uh, Juri, did you decide what you’d like to eat yet?”, Ryu asked in an attempt to hide his blushing and change the subject. 

 

“Hmmm… I think I’ll be having the K-Style Barbeque Ribs, how about you pajama man?”

 

“I actually had my eyes on that as well, seems very appetizing!” 

 

At this moment, Juir had never seen such enthusiasm in Ryu’s eyes. Soon, however, she was about to realize the extent of said enthusiasm. 

 

Juri waived her arm at the waiter, who swiftly made his way back to their table. As he approached the table, it had finally snapped into Ryu’s mind that the waiter was in fact Gen, the legendary former assassin and master of the Hyakurenko technique.

 

Gen was quite surprised to see Ryu dressed in regular clothing. In all his years of knowing of him, he had only seen him in his traditional white gi. And to top it all off, he was with a woman. A woman who had a ki filled with a love for chaos, quite the opposite to Ryu’s ki of balance and desire for self improvement. 

 

“Hey there geezer, me and the handsome guy will be havin’ some of that K-Style Barbeque. And to drink, hmmm…-”

 

“Two glasses of water, please”, Ryu said as he cut off Juri, knowing all too well she intended on ordering an alcoholic beverage. He was never much of a fan of beer and wine. 

 

Juri rolled her eyes and placed her face in her hand. Though Ryu’s words didn’t seem to surprise her all that much. Gradually, she had begun to come around and know the dedicated martial artist by the day. 

 

“Will that be all?”, Gen, the waiter and former master assassin, had asked while looking to both Ryu and Juri. 

 

“Yes, thank you, master Gen!”

 

Gen was taken by surprise that Ryu had actually managed to recognize him. Taking off his sunglasses, he let out a small chuckle.

 

“Heh heh, looks like you saw right through these brand sunglasses, Ryu. Now, what brings you here, with a woman no less?” 

 

“Guess you could say I just happened to have came across this big guy when I was bored to death, and he lost a bet, so he had to take this girl on a date”, Juri had answered for him. 

 

Grinning, Gen took a good look at Ryu with his pale, nearly white eyes. 

 

“I see you still walk the path of a warrior, Ryu. You may be dressed in casual attire, but I sense your fighting spirit remains as sharp and alert as ever. As for this very fine woman with you, heh, I sense she’s quite the fit for you, whether you believe it or not!” 

 

“Um, not quite sure what you mean by that!”, Ryu said as his face went red. 

 

Gen chuckled in amusement. 

 

“Perhaps you don’t, Ryu. As for you, what was your name again, young lady?” 

 

“The name’s Juri, you old coot.”

 

“I see. Well, I shall go bring the order now. One moment”, Gen replied as he put his sunglasses back on, making his way to the kitchen area. 

 

As he walked to the kitchen, Gen felt quite perplexed as to what a calm and collected person such as Ryu would be doing with a woman who just seemed like a total opposite to him just by looking at them together. He was aware that Ryu had the Satsui no Hadou sealed within him by Gouken after his battle with Akuma, but he knew all too well it wouldn’t be so easy for the warrior to officially banish the murderous intent from within. 

 

Not unless he could fully master the very fist he had taught Gouken once long ago, the fist which allowed both Gen and Gouken to survive Akuma’s Shun Goku Satsu: The Power of Nothingness. The very principle of it, to be exact, which was emptying one’s soul.

 

“Perhaps, being with a woman of such chaotic nature will help him grow as a warrior. Only time will tell”, Gen thought to himself. 

 

Returning to their table with the large dish which possessed their meals and drinks, Gen set them on the table. 

 

“And here is your order. Enjoy, waive me down when you desire to pay the bill”, he said. 

 

“Guess it’s time to dig in, huh macho man?”, Juri said to Ryu as she licked her lips upon sizing up her food. 

 

“Of course. Maybe I haven’t told you, but I’ll eat just about anything”, Ryu responded as he held the fork in one hand, the knife in another. 

 

And almost without warning, Ryu began devouring the barbeque ribs. In a fraction of a second, he was already cutting the meat into separate pieces. Then, almost like a wild animal, began consuming the food with eagerness that even took Juri aback. Taking little time to chew, Ryu swallowed down the pieces of the meat, and gulped down nearly half his cup of water. 

 

“Well, who knew a guy all about ‘balance and self improvement’ ate like such an animal”, Juri said as her eyes widened slightly. Ryu stopped himself momentarily, a bit embarrassed that Juri had just seen him eat in such a manner.

 

“My apologies, I just love eating. Almost as much as fighting, I could say.”

 

Suddenly, Juri leaned up in her seat and got close to Ryu’s ear. 

 

“Ya know, you’re getting me all hot and bothered for doing that, maybe you can eat something else like that later on”, she whispered in his ear with a long breath at the end. 

 

Initially, Ryu didn’t quite get what she meant by that. Eat what exactly? He looked at Juri inquisitively, and that’s when it had finally dawned on him what she truly meant. 

 

“Uh, you see, I, well, look, erm... “

 

“HA! You’re just like the gift that keeps givin’, tough guy”, Juri said as she let out a long laugh. 

 

Juri had already finished most of her meal, yet each bite she took, the more she thought back to her childhood. 

 

“Take your time sweety, or you may come down with another stomach ache!”

 

Spacing out, Juri was brought back to her senses by Ryu’s voice. 

 

“Juri, is everything alright?”, he asked with a slight tone of caution.

 

“Me… everything’s fine, macho man. Just thinking back about certains times from ages ago”, Juri said, just a tad bit caught off gaurd by his question. Ryu left it at that, as he knew how unpredictable Juri’s temper could be at times when asked about her past. 

 

Both finished their meals, and waived down Gen to pay the tab. 

 

“I’d like to pay the tab now”, Ryu said as he reached in his duffel sack, hand searching around for some money to pay. 

 

Gen gave a light smile, and placed the tab on the table and walked away. 

 

“Why don’t we just get a move on without paying? It’s what this girl does”, Juri said as she stretched her arms, belly full from the food. 

 

She got a response she almost expected. 

 

“What? No, Juri. I will pay the tab, people worked hard to cook this after all”, he said as he placed the money on the table. 

 

“Fine, have it your way, goody two shoes”, she said with a slight eye roll. 

 

After leaving the tab paid, Ryu and Juri made their way out of the restaurant. Both content and full from their meal, they decided to walk around the bustling, neon streets of Osaka. Once again, Juri put her arm around Ryu’s as they walked. 

 

“Food sure was good, don’t ya think, champ? Really takes me back.”

 

“It was delicious. Where are we heading now?”

 

“Mmm, how about over there?”, Juri said as she pointed at what seemed to be an arcade just one block down. The top of the entrance had large, flashy letters which spelt out “THE FAIR TEAR.”

 

Agreeing, they both made their way there. Both got quite a few looks from other passerbys. Many looked at Ryu and his gun arms barely contained by his sleeves, and many took glances at Juri, feeling slightly intimidated as they happened to pass her. 

 

“I haven’t been to a place like this in years”, Ryu commented. 

 

“Not surprised, all you do is meditate in the middle of nowhere”, Juri replied in amusement. 

 

Ryu took in his surroundings, wondering what led up to being here. It all started when this woman, looking for a fight to satiate her boredom, found him. And now, here they are, in an arcade with a vast collection of games of all kinds. He was even wearing something other than his gi. Truly a new experience to him, which truth be told, he found himself having some fun with. 

 

Juri pulled Ryu to a game not too far off from where they entered. It resembled air hockey, with flashing lights sudded on the perimeter of the table.

 

“Let’s see who wins best out of ten points, tough guy. Hope you’re ready for a beating”, she said as she got to her side of the table and winked. 

 

“Alright, let’s do this”, Ryu said as he took hold of the puck and placed it in the center. 

 

“Ready, GO!”, Juri shouted as she struck first, sending the puck straight into the goal. Ryu was caught off guard, but he wasn’t going to go easy on her. Whether it be fighting with fists or playing a game, he refused to go down without a fight. 

 

As the two played, there were many times in which they both made contact amidst the competitive match they were having. Both exchanged multiple smiles, chuckles, and even a solid few seconds of prolonged eye contact. Once again, Ryu realized there were fleeting moments where Juri’s eyes seemed to tell him something, show him more than what she put forth. 

 

Just as Ryu was able to strike the last goal and point, winning the match, Juri grew angry. 

 

“Pft, not fair, not at ALL”, she said in discontent, shooting the puck with enough force to penetrate clean through the table and lodging itself into the floor. Many in the area stared wide eyed, a few even backing away. 

 

“Please control your temper Juri, don’t want to scare away other people”, Ryu told Juri in a low voice as he made hsi away around the table. 

 

“Heh, temper? Don’t know what you mean. Anyways, let’s go over there”, Juri said as she pulled Ryu away from the table. 

 

Both made their way to the far left side of the arcade, which had a game taking up half the entire wall. It seemed to be similar to dart shooting. There seemed to be a catch however, as the targets were moving in different directions, seemingly amplifying the difficulty significantly. 

 

“Been awhile since I’ve shot some darts, let’s give it a go, pajama man”, Juri said as she grabbed the set of darts being ejected out of the slot. 

 

“Looks like there’s a prize if you hit all of them”, Ryu said as observed intently. 

 

It had indeed been a while since she shot darts. Many years, as a matter of fact. Way back when she was a child. 

 

“Mommy, I wanna shoot the darts! I wanna! I wanna!”

 

“Go ahead then sweety!”

 

Juri chucked one, hitting the bullseye perfectly. 

 

“Just remember, if you squint too hard, you might miss the mark, sweety>” 

 

The memories pained her severely, much more than she would ever allow visible on her face at this very moment. Juri had noticed that memories of her parents had been coming back to her much more frequently than usual the past couple of days. Not long after meeting Ryu, after his act of kindness when he could’ve easily killed her. 

 

“Executed on live televi-”

 

She missed the next dart, causing her to lose. The memory of hearing that her own father had been executed on live television, years ago, disoriented her utterly. Yet she still masked that pain. A pain no one else knew of. 

 

“Crap, guess I lost. Why don’t you give it a try, champ?”

 

Ryu accepted, and focused as he took hold of a dart. While watching Juri play, he noticed there seemed to be a pattern. Throw it too fast, it’ll zip right past the target. Throw it too slow, it’ll lose inertia and miss. Once again, balance seemed to have come into play. 

 

Ryu made the first shot, and then made the next one as well. Lights went off and flashed brilliantly as a second slot had opened next to where the darts were ejected from. A small box, jet black, with a silver outline of a target printed on top. A robotic voice echoed from the speakers on top of the target. 

 

“You. Have. Won. The. Prize.”

 

Juri looked at the box in curiosity as Ryu opened it. The top sliding off, the prize seemed to be a bracelet. It was expensive looking, quite out of place to be an arcade prize. Adorned with marble sized beads, each a crimson color. A shiny texture to them, which gleamed in the light of the arcade. 

 

Though not sure why, something in Ryu was telling him to give it to Juri.The desire to do as came at random, as he witnessed her eyeing it. 

 

“I’m not sure why I feel such a strong urge to give this to her. Perhaps, this is another lesson I will need to learn to grow…”, he thought to himself. 

 

“It’s yours, Juri. You can have it”, Ryu told Juri as he placed it in her hand, blushing ever so slightly. 

 

Juri held her hand out, as the bracelet was placed there. The touch of Ryu’s hand, full of warmth, once again began flooding her mind with confusion. It was similar to when he took her to the temple to recover after their battle. Similar to when he implied she was lonely. She didn’t know how to react, yet at the same time, she felt something no one else had shown her. Compassion.

 

But not only compassion, but warmth as well. 

 

Both of their eyes locking onto each other, gazing deeply into one another for nearly a whole minute, she slid the bracelet onto her wrist. Admiring its beauty. 

 

“Th… thank yo.. Thanks, tough guy! Didn’t take you as one t-to know what a girl likes! Ha! Guess you’re just not a champ when it comes to fighting”, she said, and for the first time in years, had stammered as she uttered those words. 

 

Ryu himself, realizing what he had just done in a few seconds, found himself unable to come up with what to say next. As always, he was inexperienced with women, and this situation was yet another speed bump to him mentally. He could tell Juri did in fact like the bracelet, but now, he didn’t know what to do next. 

 

“You’re welcome. Um, didn’t uh-” 

 

Ryu’s sentence was cut short, as Juri wrapped her hands around his neck. 

 

Ryu only felt it was natural to put his arm around Juri’s waist.

 

Diving in for a long kiss, lip to lip, full contact. Both closing their eyes and accepting it, momentarily opening and closing and gazing deep into each other’s souls. Juri felt like she could do this with Ryu. in all of her years living, her twenty five years, never in her life has she felt this warm and open to someone, as much as she didn’t show the latter part. Ever since her parents were gone, she lived without feelings of compassion. Yet somehow, this man, one of the world’s strongest warriors who was opposite to her in nearly every aspect, had brought out a side of her she never knew she still had. 

 

Perhaps for the first time in a long time, Juri felt like she could slowly open up to someone. 

 

Their kiss separating after ten long seconds, Juri gave a wink and smile to Ryu. 

 

“Juri, I-”

 

Cut off once again, Juri held a finger to Ryu’s lips as if she was shushing him.

 

“Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Chapter 8: The Spider Makes it Official

The wandering warrior was left shocked, paralyzed even, in the spider’s web. He did not anticipate this sort of response from Juri. To start it all off, he already didn’t know how exactly to give Juri the bracelet. Totally inexperienced with women, he mustered his best effort to hand it to her without collapsing into a stuttering mess. 

 

Juri took in Ryu’s face, crimson red, and began processing what had just taken place ten seconds ago. 

 

“He’s totally new to this… but so am I”, she thought. 

 

Juri, being the suggestive and occasionally perverse woman she is, surprisingly had never been infatuated with anyone before as she was with Ryu for the past few days. She’s crippled, battered, and borderline murdered quite a few fighters, yet none have ever even caught her attention as Ryu has. And yet despite all of her innuendos towards her past opponents, never once has she ever gotten intimate in the slightest with any of them. Juri didn’t seem to discriminate against sizing up fighters such as Chun Li or Cammy either, yet Ryu was a unique case. 

 

“Um… I don’t know what to say, Juri..”, Ryu said, hand scratching the back of his head, blushing furiously. 

 

“Aw, cat gotcha tongue? Am I that great of a kisser, or am I just your first one?”, Juri said in a coy tone as she looked deeply into his eyes. 

 

The change of expression on his face was all she needed to fully confirm her suspicions. 

 

Juri was, in fact, Ryu’s first kiss. 

 

“Well… yes.”

 

Barely containing a plethora of feelings that felt very new to her, Juri had realized that this was also her first kiss. Regardless of the fact, it perplexed her to no end as to how exactly someone such as Ryu could’ve been THAT inexperienced with women.

 

“HUH? The champ’s first kiss was yours truly? Well isn’t that a surprise, guess I took the honors! Ha!”

 

Juri was containing vast amounts of joy within herself. And it wasn’t the same type of joy she got when beating on someone either. It was something she had never felt before. 

 

“Y-yes, I guess you did. Do you like the bracelet?”, Ryu said, still in a state of shock, attempting to ease some of the redness off of his face. 

 

Ryu was never much of a woman’s man. All he had his mind on was sharpening his skills and subduing the Satsui no Hadou, and occasionally training and giving out pointers to one of his friends, Sakura. Yet he couldn’t help but also feel things he had never felt before. Indeed, the circumstances in which he met Juri was quite sudden, yet the days they’ve been around each other felt as if it was much longer than that. 

 

“Well, duh! What do you think? Fits this lady just fine!”, Juri exclaimed as she flicked her wrist around while leaning up against Ryu. 

 

Ryu felt relief. Juri came off to him as someone with a specific taste in things, so he was relieved to know she liked it. 

 

“Well, um, I suppose we should make our way around some more, right? I’m getting a bit thirsty myself”, Ryu told Juri. 

 

“Sure thing, hotty”, Juri answered as she hooked her arm around Ryu’s and lead the way. 

 

Not very long after, they made their way to a soft drinks booth in the arcade area. Walking up to the cashier, Ryu took a gander at the selection of cup sizes. 

 

“Good evening, how may I help you guys?”

 

“We’ll take two large cups, please”, Ryu told him. 

 

Nodding, the cashier handed them both the large cups.

 

“That’ll be-”

 

 Juri then proceeded to tug Ryu away before he could get the chance to pay. 

 

“Just a second Juri, we can’t just take these for free.”

 

“Ugh, fine. Guess I forgot you’re a boy scout”, Juri said with an eyeroll.

 

Patiently tapping her foot on the floor as Ryu paid for the cups, she noticed a group of women off in the distance gawking at Ryu. Giggling and looking him up and down without a care in the world. And she wasn’t going to be having any of it. 

 

Ryu and Juri made their way to the soft drink dispensers, both pondering on what to pick out. While she had her eyes on the Rockstar Pina Colada, Ryu seemed to have been looking at Orange Fanta. Both pouring their selected drinks into the cups, they decided to walk around the arcade and view what else they can possibly pass the time with. 

 

But Juri hadn’t forgotten about the group of females eyeing Ryu like a pack of wolves. As both of them walked by the group, Juri feinted a trip and spilled her cup all over them, drenching them in the sticky, carbonated water. 

 

“Oooops! Not sorry!” 

 

All three of the girls soaked, they angrily stomped out of the arcade, with Juri letting out a loud cackle in satisfaction. 

 

Ryu took a stern look at Juri, nodding his head in disapproval. 

 

“That was on purpose, wasn’t it? What for?”

 

“Hmmm, just didn’t like the way they were lookin’ at my date!”, Juri answered as she once again clinged her arm around his and they continued their walk. 

 

Ryu was once again left slightly befuddled by Juri, but he was beginning to grow used to it. 

 

“Right when I think I’m starting to understand her…”, he thought to himself.

 

“Well, I could share my drink with yo-”

 

SLURRRP

 

Without even asking, Juri had already taken a large sip from his cup, causing his eyes to widen ever so slightly as he realized his cup went from full to a third empty. 

 

“Oh trust me, you don’t gotta tell this girl twice.”

 

As the night went on, Juri found herself feeling in ways she’d never felt before. The feelings of warmth were alien to her at this point of her life, and to add on to that, feeling warmed up to another person was very new to her.

 

“Who knew there was someone out there who could put up with yours truly”, Juri remarked to Ryu as they made their way out of the arcade. 

 

“What do you mean by that, Juri?”

 

“Oh don’t play stupid, macho man. You’ve already seen how bombastic this girl can be. Would scare away anyone else most of the time”, she responded as she jumped onto Ryu’s back and positioned herself into a piggy back ride. 

 

“Oh, well, it’s alright, as long as you’re not inflicting harm on anyon-”

 

Cut off by a peck to the cheek, Juri wrapped her arms around Ryu’s neck in a playful headlock. This man, a man who was a polar opposite to Juri in a plethora of ways, had grown on her rather quickly. For Juri, the only interactions she’d had the past few years were solely for entertainment and for the thrill of fighting. No one ever truly valued her or treated her like a decent human being, but this didn’t surprise her given her idea of fun. 

 

“Aren’t you just a sweetheart, ha! You’re actually the first person to stick around this long. Shocker right? Guess you could say I’m starting to grow on ya, huh?”

 

Ryu had also begun to feel warmed up to Juri. The circumstances in which they met was quite random and sudden, but as he always said, the answers lie in the heart of battle. But this didn’t stop the redness from creeping back to his cheeks.

 

“I’ll admit, you are a one of a kind woman.” 

 

“‘Woman’? You use some funny words, hotshot. It’s fine, I know I’m drop dead gorgeous and you're dying to get in my pants...”, Juri said as she lowered her lips mere centimeters from Ryu’s ear.  

 

Initially, he didn’t understand what she meant by that. Until he did. Before he could collapse into a stuttering mess, Juri slapped him on the head and let out a loud laugh. 

 

“Man, your reactions are always so priceless! Anyways, how about we start heading back to that lame old shack of yours?”

 

“Erhrm, sure, let’s get going.” 

 

“Giddy’up, champ!”, Juri shouted as she smacked Ryu’s right shoulder. 

 

With a sigh, the both started their way back to the mountains. During their walk back, however, the spider had begun pondering something. 

 

The streets had emptied out somewhat, leaving the bustling streets calmer and not as crowded as usual. Ryu and Juri took in the sights and tranquility of the area. Juri couldn’t help but observe Ryu looking around. She found it cute in a way, that these sights probably aren’t that common to Ryu since all he ever does is train and only ever leaves his place to seek out more fights. Yet his eyes took everything in. She felt special in that respect, getting someone like himself to do something different. Which brought her mind back to what she was thinking deeply about ever since they left the arcade. 

“Say, since I’m the first woman you’ve ever gone on an actual date with, what… um, Earth to yoga man?”, Juri had cut herself off after noticing Ryu had stopped walking entirely and was just staring off into the large, reflective windows of the building they were passing by. 

 

Ryu had abruptly stopped in his tracks when he felt a nagging feeling on his right side. Something had fixated his attention on the large window he was passing. He just stood there, looking at his reflection, wondering why exactly he was doing so. That’s until he noticed a figure standing in the corner, several yards away. Each time he blinked, it grew closer. And closer. That’s when he realized who, no, WHAT it was. 

 

It was none other than the demonic silhouette from his dream a few days ago. It was grinning at him, arms on its sides. Ryu didn’t even notice Juri trying to reach him, all he could do was stare intensely at the figure. Suddenly, it vanished. Ryu, snapping out of his daze, finally noticed Juri had jumped off his back and was standing before him. 

 

“Are you alright up there? You just spaced out suddenly, had your date a little worried”, Juri said. 

 

“Oh… my apologies, I don’t what happened just now. It’s just that I thought I saw something in the reflection of the window. Must be nothing.” 

 

Just after saying that, Ryu took another look in the glass. He froze.

 

His reflection itself had changed. Drastically. It wasn’t the demonic figure from his dreams, not it was himself. Wearing a tattered, blackened version of his own gi. From the waist up, the upper half of the gi was torn to shreds, and in the center of his chest, a gaping hole. Glowing a fiery orange. His hair, spiked to the top and tinted red. Eyes glowing, beaming with contempt and hatred.

 

Ryu suddenly keeled over on the sidewalk, holding his head as a deep, searing pain brushed over. Grinding his teeth, he began to realize what was happening. The hadou had began attempting to overtake him, once again as it has many times before. 

 

“What? Hey!”, Juri said with a tone of concern. A tone she never thought she’d express towards another person. 

 

“No… NO. I won’t, GIVE in…”, Ryu groaned whilst his teeth were grinding. 

 

He wasn’t sure what exactly had set this off. He hasn’t fought since he met Juri, and nothing had occurred at the arcade. And that reflection he saw of himself, it was far too vivid. 

 

“Is this… what I’m becoming?”, he thought to himself, the aching in his head spreading further. 

 

“Yes, it is! ACCEPT IT!”, a thunderous, sinister sounding voice bellowed in Ryu’s head. 

 

Almost as soon as it began, Ryu snapped out of it. Gasping, he looked up to Juri, who had gotten on her knees to try and help him regain his composure. Cold beads of sweat had rolled down his forehead. Juri wiped them away, and gave Ryu a hand to get up. 

 

“What the hell was all that about?”, Juri asked. 

 

“I’m sorry you had to see that, Juri. As I mentioned before, I fight off the murderous intent, the Satsui no Hadou, almost everyday. But just now… it was far more severe than before.”

 

“Oh, that? I read about it in a file. Sounds pretty exciting if you ask me”, Juri said as she nudged Ryu in the stomach. 

 

The look of shame on Ryu’s face couldn’t be kept hidden from her for even a second. 

 

“Well, I guess if it’s THAT bad, guess I’ll help my date keep it in check. How does that sound?”

 

This took him by surprise. Juri loved having a thrill, and the Hadou seemed to have gotten her excited somewhat. Yet now here she is offering to help him keep it locked inside. It was yet another question which Ryu believed could lead to growth. 

 

“Thank you, Juri. I’m grateful, if you weren’t here, I’m not sure how bad it might’ve gotten.”

 

Juri had realized it was now the opportune moment to go through with what she had been thinking about. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure if she had really wanted to go through with this, but she knew it was now or never. 

 

“No problem, sunshine. By the way, I’ve got a little question for you.”

 

Ryu looked at her inquisitively, wondering just what else the spider could throw at him. 

 

“Yes, what is it?”

 

“Wanna make this official, hotshot? Wanna be my boyfriend? If it’s too much too handle for you, I und-”

 

The world stopped spinning at this very moment. Everything stopped, as a matter of fact. Time itself, the planet's orbit of the sun, everything. Juri, a confident and explosive woman, was unsure of herself asking Ryu such a question. He would never guess someone like her would feel this way of herself, but she made an effort to make sure of this. There was so much more to Juri than she could even show to the rest of the world, yet Ryu had begun to make her grow comfortable with him. They may have kissed, but Juri wasn’t utterly sure if he had truly wanted something more. 

 

And at this very instant, Ryu responded in a way Juri herself was caught off guard by. Brought in close by the waist, Ryu connected his lips to Juri’s, passionate kissing following. Eyes closing, and her arms wrapping around his neck. As their lips remained connected, their eyes slowly opened as they were embracing, both looking deeply into one another. Once again, the look Ryu had only seen for fleeting moments in Juri’s eyes came back. It almost seemed as if they watered for a second. Days had passed since they met, yet so much had begun to connect between them. Almost as if it was meant to be this way, no matter the means. In Ryu’s eyes, Juri felt what no one else had ever made her feel. She felt accepted and valued, and the last time she had ever even felt that way was before her parents were mercilessly killed by Shadoloo. And Ryu, as he gazed into Juri, realized her had found a woman, the first woman, to make him feel connected to intimately. Her personality was explosive, violent at times, yet he knew there was more to her. He knew he could bring it out in due time. He knew both could grow from each other, and much more. 

 

Finally separating, they stood there, gazing into each other. Ryu’s answer was clear, but her had to verify it once again, verbally. 

 

“Yes Juri, of course I do.”

Notes:

Alright, this is the second fic I write, not the best writer but ever since I was 12 I've always thought about how these two could get something going possibly. Not too many Ryu/Juri fics out there, so hope you guys enjoy this one! Any and all feedback is appreciated!