The Idols of Iron Fist

The Seventh Match

                                                The Seventh Match

    “I will now announce the next match!” the announcer declared. The audience cheered loudly. “Now, the first competitor is…”

    The idols waited. So far in the competition, Steve Fox, Christie Monteiro, Robert “Bob” Richards, Zafina, Julia Chang, and lastly, Lei Wulong himself, had been defeated, in addition to Miki.

    Azusa couldn’t help but notice that most of them were defeated by either Kazuya Mishima, Heihachi’s son; Heihachi himself; or Heihachi’s grandson, Jin Kazama. The three of them were beastly strong, and the thing that scared Azusa the most was that they seemed to have no problem killing others. The other people she’d seen fighting were the blonde-ponytail-woman who Yukiho had seen the first day and a tall, muscular man with short-cropped grey hair and a scar on his face.

    She heard the crowd cheering and realized that the first competitor had been announced. She was a tall woman, with short brown hair and an ever-present seductive smirk on her face. She wore a red low-cut kimono, patterned, webbed leggings, and red high heels. Azusa frowned.

    What a pretty woman. I wonder how she fights…?

    “Miss Anna’s opponent shall be…”

    Azusa waited. Since Miki, the idols hadn’t had a single fight. She was expecting one of them to go out there.

    She wasn’t expecting it to be Iori.

    “Iori Minase!”

    Azusa gasped and looked over at Iori, who was then bowled into by Ami.

    The two twins had decided to compete under Ami’s name and simply switch places when one of them was feeling too tired. The only way Azusa could tell it was Ami was because the young girl was clinging desperately to Iori’s arm, begging her unit partner not to go. Azusa watched Iori silently detach Ami from herself. She pulled two guns from her holsters (Azusa, being Azusa, had no idea what kind of gun they were) and twirled them on her fingers, then headed out.

    The woman in the arena, presumably named Anna, frowned slightly at the sight of Iori strolling confidently out to meet her.

    “You’re my opponent?” she sighed. “You don’t look like much. A woman like me should easily be able to dispose of you.” She smirked.

    Iori snorted, amused. “Really, now?” she half-purred. “You know, I’m really going to enjoy killing you.”

    “Go, Iorin!” Ami shouted.

    “Iori-chan, fight!” Yayoi called.

    “Do your best, Iori-chan!” Azusa yelled.

    Anna snickered. “Cute ‘fan club’.”

    “Thanks,” Iori responded. “Yours too.”

    “Why, thank y—”

    “Wait…” Iori cut in. “…you don’t have one.”

    “Of course I do!” Anna scoffed. She pointed into the audience at a bunch of men with the letters on her name painted onto their torsos. Around them were other men and the occasional woman chanting her name.

    “That’s all?” Iori asked innocently. She pointed up to the ten idols cheering for her, and then to the audience at her fans cheering with them.

    Anna scowled. “You’re just a little girl,” she hissed. “Look, my only business is with my sister. So get out of my way!”

    Instantly, Anna ran towards Iori, who raised her guns and squinted. Anna stopped, crouched, and skidded slightly, then her foot shot up and slammed into Iori’s chin. Iori gasped and flew backwards, the guns flying out of her hands.

    “No…!” Azusa gasped. “Iori-chan!”

    Iori gritted her teeth and rolled out of the way of Anna’s next oncoming attack. She scrambled to her feet and ran after the twin guns. Anna charged after her and slid into the girl, knocking her flat on her face. Anna slammed the heel of her palm into the center of Iori’s back, causing a loud crack.

    Iori screamed and reached forwards feebly for her gun. She winced with the effort, crawling towards the precious objects just a little at a time.

    “I don’t think so, ‘honey’,” Anna laughed, moving on top of Iori to stop her movement. Iori grunted and stretched her hand out just a little more. Anna raised her hand to break another portion of Iori’s back, just as Iori managed to grab hold of her gun. Grunting again, she rolled herself over, forcing Anna off, and crawled towards her other gun. She managed to get it before Anna stood up, glaring down at the girl.

    “Why don’t you stay still and die?” Anna hissed. “Come on…I promise I’ll make it easy for you.”

    Iori snickered. “Whatever you say,” she sighed. “But you do know I’m not going to die here, right?”

    “Well, I’m sure as heck not losing either!” Anna lashed.

    Iori suddenly rolled onto her back and pointed both guns at Anna. Anna lunged forwards to slam her foot into Iori’s head. Azusa closed her eyes to avoid the outcome.

    There was a series of bangs. A couple screams, a horrible splattering sound…then silence. The idols were completely still. Azusa dared to crack one eye open and gasped.

    Iori was lying on the ground where she’d been before, panting and crying. Slumped on top of her was Anna. The woman had holes all over her body. Iori shoved her off of her own body and slowly rose to her feet. The pain in her back forced her to collapse back onto her hands and knees. Anna was completely still. There was more silence.

    Then Iori’s fan club erupted into applause and Anna’s fan club cried out in anger and disbelief. Somewhere with the rest of the competitors, the blond-ponytail-woman tried to decide whether she was happy about her sister’s death or whether she would have preferred to do it herself. Azusa practically leapt for joy. A team of paramedics ran down to Iori and lifted the injured idol onto a cot.

    “Nihihi!” Iori laughed hoarsely. “I’m more than just a pretty face, you know…!”

    “Iorin! Iorin! Iorin!” Ami chanted. The rest of the idols joined the chant and Iori grinned past the tears of pain running down her face. Lili Rochefort clapped happily at the success of her new friend.

    Azusa grinned broadly. “Ara, ara…how lucky we are that Iori-chan was able to survive.”

   “To be honest, I thought for sure she would die,” Chihaya murmured beside her.

    “So did I,” Lili said, appearing out of nowhere. “What luck that she managed to reach those guns in time. Without them, I’m afraid our friend would have been cut short in seconds.”

    “True,” Azusa replied. She sighed.

    “Well, what matters is that she won!” Yayoi laughed. “I’m so happy…!”

    “Right!” Azusa cheered.

    Makoto grinned. “See, guys? It isn’t all impossible.”

    “It is for us!” Yukiho whined.

    “Relax. I’ll protect you.”

    “I-I’m still terrified, though!”

    “If you have to,” Makoto began, “don’t be afraid to use that shovel of yours. I’m not kidding. Don’t use it to dig a hole, because you’ll just end up trapping yourself. Just…swing it around until you hear a crack.”

    Yukiho nodded slowly and burrowed into her friends chest. Makoto giggled and hugged her.

    Azusa watched Iori get wheeled away into the medical room. She smiled. “Well, I’m sure Iori-chan will be OK, at least. I look forward to seeing the rest of you fight.”

    There was a silence.

    “Maybe,” Ritsuko said quietly. “But I don’t think any of us are actually looking forward to fighting.”