His mind was clearly focused. His training was to never end until he perfected his skill. His skill known as Shotokan Karate. The wind howled briskly as the figure stood, looking over the mountain crests, focusing his chi, for what he must do. Now. He stood in a deep front stance, his right leg solidly locked behind him, his left leg bent. Sweat slowly started to roll down from his red head-band to his brow, as he now made a fist and leaped in an upward and almost diaganol arc. "Shouryuken!" Ryu's fist connected with nothing but thin air, as he remembered back to ten years ago to a fight that he almost lost. It was the final match in a tournament known as Street Fighter.

Ryu and the muscular Muay Thai champion Sagat, had squared off in a grueling battle. The young Japanese man and Thailand's Muay Thai champion stared coldly at one another. Ryu landed with several fierce kicks and punches to the kickboxer, but he did not fall. Your attacks are strong, little man, Sagat remarked, but they fail to compare to kickboxing! Sagat lashed out with a fierce punch, which Ryu blocked. That was just enough time for Sagat to land a strong roundhouse kick to Ryu's ribs.

Ryu now fell, stunned by the blow. The shotokan student clutched his side as he studied his opponent. So, this is kickboxing? he said to himself, a punch and kick combination. Ryu stood slowly, shaking away the pain within him and was once again on the offense, attacking Sagat. More than once, Ryu used a Hadouken to defeat his lumbering opponent. Every chance he had to finish Sagat was wasted.

Ryu tried a new strategy. He went for Sagat's legs with a low kick, to sweep him, then he followed up with a lunging axe kick, and finish the combination with a Hadouken. The sweep and axe kick connected, but the fireball was quickly countered by Sagat's Tuger Uppercut. Ryu was vaulted into the air by the quick uppercut, and he fell to the ground. Dazed.

The Muay Thai champion grabbed Ryu by the front of his gi and head-butted his opponent. Ryu felt the sting of blood on the bridge of his nose as Sagat once again kicked him, this time kneeing his enemy in the solarplexus and kicking him in the head, as he fell to the ground the third time.

Ryu was down, beaten, and exhausted. All of his attacks had failed. Sagat stood over him, trimuphant over his opponent. Miserable little maggot! he spat, you were a fool to take on a fighter such as myself! Ryu’s breathing was labored. He heard Sagat’s mocking laughter over him. Ryu remembered seeing his sensei, Goutetsu, perform a powerful attack. A vertical uppercut. Goutetsu had called this attack the Shouryuuken or Dragon Punch.

Sagat continued laughing at the still form of Ryu as he now, once again, slowly stood. Sagat was dismayed at the sight as he now tried beating Ryu to a pulp. Ryu leaped upwards toward Sagat after dodging the kickboxer’s uppercut. Tatsumakisempuukyaku! the young man called, as the massive hurricane kick connected to Sagat’s head. The kick rattled Sagat’s skull for three consecutive hits as the kickboxer still stood, though now blood gushed down his nose. Enraged, Sagat ran towards Ryu, in an attempt to kick off the shotokan’s head. Ryu stood his ground, going into a deep forward stance, and he saw his bulk of his opponent charge toward him. Sagat was now within a foot of the shotokan, and it was then the shotokan student called out, HADOUKEN! Sagat felt the flesh on his chest burn as a blue ball of energy nailed him square in the chest. Sagat staggered, and Ryu looked to his opponent, preparing to finish him off.

Sagat charged Ryu once again like a mad bull and it was then the shotokan student did the unpredictable. Ryu closed his hand in a fist, assumed a deep front stance, and when Sagat was just inches from him, he released the devastating punch he had seen his master perform. SHOURYUKEN! he cried out, and the punch connected to Sagat’s chest. Ryu arched diagonally and then straightened as the dragon punch ripped through Sagat’s chest like a knife through butter.

Sagat screamed in austere pain and fell to the ground with a thud. Ryu landed on the opposite side of the fallen kickboxer, breathing heavily. Sagat's chest was heavily scarred, bleeding and Sagat passed out. Ryu wins the tournament! the announcer called, indicating Ryu had defeated Sagat. The Japanese shotokan now accepted the title of world champion, but he walked away from the defeated kickboxer and headed in the opposite direction, not excepting any congratulations except from his American friend Ken Masters.

Masters was a few years younger than Ryu, and Ken was always as arrogant of his ego as well as his flamboyant and charismatic demeanor. "Hey, buddy, you did it!" he said, patting his friend on the back, "you actually defeated Sagat!" He grabbed his friend over the neck as they both walked out the arena. "So, how do you feel, world champ?"

"Ken, what I did—"

"Was awesome man! I've never seen anything like that!"

"I wouldn’t call almost killing a man awesome, Ken. Master Goutetsu always said to use the Shouryuken only as a last resort."

"Well, he was going to kill you buddy. I'd say that qualified as a last result. Besides, you were almost done for."

"Thanks for caring."

"Just watch out next time you're fighting though, buddy. I might be All-Around U.S. Karate Champion, but that won't stop me from claiming your title of World Warrior."

Ryu nodded and Ken smiled. "Take care, hot shot."

"Later, muscle man."

Ryu and Ken banged their fists together. "I'll see you around.... when fate brings us together again."

Ken smiled at his friend and he himself went down the road. Ryu had always followed his way alone, and Ken was not about to follow him. Instead, he simply returned to Seattle, Washington, and started a new life for himself.

Ken’s words echoed through Ryu’s mind as the shotokan continued his descent from the dragon punch. Ryu landed on the rocky ground, thinking of what the past meant to him. His victory over Sagat. The death of his master Goutetsu. Even more disturbing was that he did not know who killed his master. Ryu must now continue on his journey, hoping to one day find the one responsible.

Through light and dark, good and evil, he will find his sensei’s murderer.
Or die trying.

As Ryu continued to improve on his style, he did not know that he was not alone. Hiding well within the mountain tops of the Himilayas, deep within the Thailand/Laos border, a figure watched his every move. His every gesture. This warrior has potential, the stranger said, smiling at the sight before him. He could simply kill him now, leave no trace of his whereabouts, but.... No. Not yet, my friend. The figure laughed and as quickly as that disappeared.