The Burning Lives

The Next Fight

Suggested listening: Rotting Christ - Noctis Era

-Is this a joke?- said Jin, with his usual composure.

-We asked you a punctual question, sir. What do you see in this video?

-Okay, since we're up for games. I see some kind of... creature going at Heihachi.

-What kind of creature?

-I don't know, it has horns and claws, but it looks kind of human. It could be anything.

-Does it look like anyone you know?

-He... looks like a distorted version of myself. The hair, the build, it's all there.

-I see we're getting somewhere, Mr. Kazama-Seong.

-You're not implying I'm that... thing, are you?

-You will understand that the resemblance is quite uncanny.

-And you can't possibly believe that such a creature actually exist in the real world.

-We are in possession of a similar video of your father, where he assumed a devilish form while attacking another unrecognisable fighter. The video was doctored, but our experts believe the creature might be true.

-Then, your experts are wrong. I refuse to believe we live in a world where monsters like that are at large. It simply can't be. Where did you get this video from? Are you sure of your sources?

-We were able to retrieve bits and pieces of it from the hard disk of the security room in the G-Corp building. Everything was wiped, but traces of the recorded videos were still there.

-And who's to say this isn't doctored as well?

-Our experts, once again.

-The same who believe Mishima Kazuya to have been a devil. Right. He was many things, but a devil was not one of them. Not literally, at least. This is nonsense, and you're wasting my time.

-Are we. Let's fast forward to the really fun part. Here. Now, we have another horned and clawed creature, and, oh my, who does it look like this time?

Eun-jung's face was well visible at the centre of the video, while she prepared her attack towards Heihachi. Jin couldn't deny it, he couldn't. They would know he was lying and then they would both pay for it. He would simply play dumb, just like he had done up until now.

-It looks like... Eun-jung? Kind of. But again, you don't expect me to believe this. It's grotesque.

-But one Hell of a coincidence, you will admit, sir. What should we make of this video, in your opinion?

-A B-movie. It's all that's good for. Someone planted a sick joke in those hard disks, or something, I don't know, and I frankly don't care. I had nothing to do with my grandfather's death, even though I did not cry for his departure, and I surely have nothing to do with these videos, nor does Eun-jung. Now, if you don't have anything else, I have a family to return to.

-Nothing else here, Mr. Kazama-Seong. But, just to be sure, don't leave the country in the following weeks.

-I have no intention to. I have to give Hell to the Japanese law to actually adopt my daughter, because I'm fed up with people like you not recognising she actually is. So, I will be busy, but here.

-Good. It was a pleasure, sir.

Jin tilted his head, and the men left the room, silently.

In the meantime, pretty much the same conversation was going on in the other room, where Eun-Jung and Hwoarang were sitting one besides the other, the UN men in front of them. They completely ignored the redhead, except for the times when he thought they were being too harsh with his daughter and demanded for a different tone or a halt, which he obtained every time.

-Who is this horned creature, Eun-jung?

-I don't know. It somehow looks like my father Jin, but he can't be. Monsters don't exist, I learnt this when I was a child, not so long ago.

-Good answer. But look here. One second... here. Who is the woman here?

-It's... it's me? A strange version of me which belongs in a carnival. What's the point of these videos? To show me what we would look like with tattoos and horns and claws?

-No. It's to raise a question: why do they look like you, when suspiciously your family wanted Heihachi dead and the rest of the videos were mysteriously erased from existence?

-I don't know, but it seems to me that we're being grossly framed. If they had been more cunning, though, they would have put our actual faces there, not this gross horned version. It's hardly believable, no lawyer would ever convict us with such evidence if we ever went to court.

-Smart girl. But who ever talked about lawyers and courts here?

Hwoarang intervened. -Please, don't treat my daughter as if she were stupid. We all get why you're here, and why we are here. It's kind of obvious. Don't play games.

-We actually have no further questions for your daughter, Mr. Kazama-Seong. Don't leave town in the following weeks, though. We will investigate further on the matter.

-And waste your time on an obvious fake videos of devils. I get it, you're bored. I am too. So, with your permission, I will join my husband in the other room.

-Please, do as you wish.

Hwoarang took Eun-Jung's hand and they both went out the door, to find Jin thinking, sitting at his desk.

-You done too? Those clowns were on our daughter like vultures. But she was great.

-Yeah, they tried to squeeze doubts out of me, but failed. I don't know how they could retrieve those videos, but they can prove nothing with them anyway. And they know it. With some kind of confession they could have make them work, but not with them alone. We did good. Let's go home now, I'm already sick of this place.

-You don't have to tell me twice.

-And, Hwoarang. I called my lawyer, in the next days we'll start putting down an attack plan for going to court.

-For what?

-For Eun-jung's adoption here in Japan. I'm tired of not being seen as his father in my homeland. There's a precedent, and I have the best lawyers in the country. I'm confident we can win this, if we prepare properly.

-That's wonderful, Jin. Obviously, I'm backing you a hundred percent. Plus, we have the Irish papers on our side. They will have to count for something.

-We'll see. This is my next fight. One I'm dead set to win.