No one travels
Along this way but I,
This autumn evening.
--Basho

After the very first exchange, it was obvious to both Ryu and Ken that even their combined might, drastically weakened by their previous trials, was no match for Cyber-Gouki’s peerless power.

Ryu had attacked high, combining a jump kick into a Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku, while Ken struck low, a cheap shot to Cyber-Gouki’s groin. The cyborg simply caught Ken’s fist and flung him into the air at Ryu, the two landing in a heap. He then fired off a Mega Gou Beam that nearly seared the flesh from their bones.

Ken was leaking chi like a sieve, his fiery energy distorting the air around him; he was on his last legs and his body had called upon all his reserves. While Ryu knew they had to finish the battle quickly, before they both collapsed from exhaustion, he also knew that they needed time to gather sufficient energy to launch an effective assault against Cyber-Gouki.

"You disappoint me Gouki," he stalled, while trying to stabilize Ken’s chi, to stop him from burning himself out.

Cyber-Gouki’s eyes narrowed. "Disappoint you? Am I not destroying you fast enough for your taste? That can be remedied."

Realizing that the situation had just turned a bit uglier, Ken quickly riposted, "Hah! Some ‘Master of the Fist’ you are! Relying on that techno-crap!" He could feel himself cooling down, no longer leaking energy, but Ken also felt the onset of fatigue creep into his body as the adrenaline rush subsided.

"The Oni Messatsu No Shotokan demands much from the body, does it not?" asked Ryu, as he searched for a way to prolong the longevity of both their bodies. He needed to keep the candle of Ken’s chi burning without flaring and going out.

"You are perceptive, Ryu," admitted Cyber-Gouki.

"It was obvious," claimed Ryu. "Your hair was going white at the last tournament, and the fact that you sought Sakura to host the Oni Messatsu No Shotokan indicated that it needs a younger body. All this technology is to sustain your body and compensate for your aging."

"Ryu!" Ken whispered, "I’m afraid I can’t last much longer, and this chit-chat really isn’t helping."

"Combine your chi with mine," commanded Ryu.

"What? How?"

"Ken, neither of us has enough energy to last long, but together we are greater than the sum of our parts. Your chi perfectly complements my own, and in balance we can prolong our energy, like a pendulum," explained Ryu. "Match your chi to mine, then slowly raise it."

"Because you refused!" cried Cyber-Gouki. "I could have passed down its power and lived through you, but you turned your back on the Oni Messatsu No Shotokan and left me its sole inheritor, to bear its power alone."

While Cyber-Gouki ranted, Ken and Ryu combined their remaining energy, nurturing it like a dying flame, feeling the give and take of its ebbing power, like a heartbeat.

"But now, I am more than a man, more than a demon. My power is infinite! And you…are nothing!"

With this, Cyber-Gouki glided forward with preternatural speed, lashing out at his two foes, but Ryu and Ken moved as one, dodging aside and surrounding the cyborg.

A fist shot towards Cyber-Gouki’s back. He half-turned, his arm parrying away the attack, then raised his foot to kick his attacker. Another foot caught his, followed by a leg sweep. Cyber-Gouki followed its momentum, spinning his own leg in a crescent kick so that he had the inside angle, and prepared to launch a barrage of kicks into and through his opponent’s chest. But his first attacker jumped in, grabbed hold of his shoulders, and began to thrust his knee into Cyber-Gouki’s belly.

They were as one, acting as one mind, one body, eight limbs in total synchrony, with one purpose: to kick the shit out of Cyber-Gouki.

But the cyborg pushed against the thrusting knee and escaped the hold, hopping back, up into the air.

Ryu caught him, twisted, and redirected his momentum with a sacrifice throw, flipping backwards and tossing Cyber-Gouki over his head, then sent a Shinkuu Hadou-Ken propelling towards Cyber-Gouki, who had nowhere to go, forcing the cyborg to absorb the impact.

Ryu’s technique pushed Cyber-Gouki right in front of Ken, who proceded to smack him with the Shinpuu Jinrai Kyaku, a flurry of kicks that sought out an opening both high and low. As the onslaught of kicks subsided, Cyber-Gouki saw the obvious opening, as Ken’s momentum came to a halt and his last kick was caught by Cyber-Gouki at shoulder level.

The retaliation never came, as Ken’s kicks pushed Cyber-Gouki back to Ryu, who set himself in a low stance and thrusted upwards with his fist.

"Shin Shoryuken!"

The blow caught Cyber-Gouki at the base of his spine, the one part of the body that is always conserved during cybernation. Ryu’s other fist struck out and connected, ripping into Cyber-Gouki. Landing before his nemesis, Ryu maintained his momentum and let loose his Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku, catching Cyber-Gouki as he fell, the maelstrom of spinning kicks beating him to the ground. Ken caught him off the ground, pounded him into the air again with an uppercut and released the Shinryuken.

A charred Cyber-Gouki finally hit the ground, his armor and wings cracked and shattered. His two Shotokan foes lay panting on the ground, completely exhausted by the salvo of powerful arts they unleashed.

Cyber-Gouki weakly rose to his hands and knees. "Impressive," he said at last.

"The power in that Shoryuken was godlike; I have never seen its equal."

Ryu could not believe his foe was still breathing, much less chatting casually about the technique that shattered his spine.

"I developed it as a technique powerful enough to lead me to victory without having to revert to the Oni Messatsu No Shotokan."

"Pity it is still nothing compared to my might!" claimed Cyber-Gouki, rising now to his feet.

"You’re bluffing!" Ken declared. "You’re ready to fall over any minute now."

"Pitiful young Masters. You are the one on the verge of collapse," sneered Cyber-Gouki. "Weakling!"

Ken half-rose at the insult, then stumbled, coughing up blood. He looked up, ready to face down Cyber-Gouki’s taunts, but saw only a flash of light.

"KEN!" cried Ryu, trying to rise to his feet.

Too late. The thrusters on Cyber-Gouki’s back still functioned and propelled him towards Ken at an unbelievable speed. The Shining Gou Shock robbed Ryu of his vision momentarily, and robbed Ken of something far more precious, far more permanently.

Cyber-Gouki tossed the broken body of Ken Masters off the cliff.

"NO!!!! (Omigod, you killed Kenny! You bastard!)" Ryu knelt on the ground, tears streaming from his eyes, fists clenched in helpless fury.

He looked up, eyes full of anger, and hatred, ready to take vengeance on Cyber-Gouki.

But the cyborg had exhausted his self-proclaimed "infinite" power, and his glowing eyes began to dull.

"What? No…this is wrong! Apocalypse…you betrayed…me!" And the Master of the Fist fell forward to the ground, abandoned by his erstwhile ally, abandoned by life, abandoned by the Oni Messatsu No Shotokan. The man who forsook all to walk his own path, goes to hell alone.

And Ryu, who also walked the path of the world warrior, found all taken away from him. His master, Gouken. His friend, Ken. And now, the target of his hatred, his vengeance, Gouki, also taken from him. Into this empty shell of a man, cracked and vulnerable, the Oni Messatsu No Shotokan entered, finding a host welcome to unbridled hatred and evil.