Tekkenshu Sentai Shinkenger

Introduction: Revival

    I am Kazuya Mishima, the one true heir of the Mishima Zaibatsu.  I tell myself this over and over again, and I have yet to grow tired of it.  I never knew my mother, and my relationship with my father is, to say the least, remarkably sour.  Voices constantly whisper within the dark recesses of my mind and my heart, goading me to ruin.  Sometimes it is difficult to tell which voice is my own and which is that of my “other self.”

I have garnered many, many enemies over the years, and scarce few allies.  The ones I had gained, however, I treated them as if they were mere puppets…until recently.  Until the previous King of Iron Fist Tournament, where one of my former associates at G-Corporation decided he would play mind games with my already-crowded psyche.  He alone managed to turn my Devil powers inside out and nearly killed me using methods that didn’t seem to have anything to do with conventional science.  Looking back on it, I would have certainly been slain if not for her…Jun Kazama…the mother of my offspring.

I will not go into the details of how she came to be amongst the living once again.  The methods that were used are strictly confidential, even for you.  You can ask her yourself; but she will most likely tell you the same thing.  

Despite her naiveté, Jun has always had a good grip on reality.  After being dead for the past seven years, she regained memories of her former life rather quickly…including her attempt to relieve me of that particular voice in my head that I am so well-acquainted with.  Although my…compassion seems to have become more apparent since her return, my fists are still as powerful as they ever were…perhaps even stronger, now that the voices in my head are beginning to become quieter as my mind becomes stronger…or so I originally thought.  The tale I will soon tell you disproves that.

Aside from Jun, there is my adopted brother, Lee Chaolan.  He and I were never “good friends,” but Chaolan has always been willing to lend a hand if I asked him for it.  Perhaps it is fear of my wrath that keeps him from refusing, though he has fought me in combat a few times with the soul of a dragon.  Nevertheless, he is a valuable ally, and we have both agreed that when the time comes, we will take the Zaibatsu together.  

I never asked for redemption, and I never intended on actively seeking it.  Perhaps, deep down, Jun was fully aware of this.  Of course, she will never admit to it.  It is a simple matter of pride and honor.  We are warriors: both she and I realize that we must pave our own way through fate.

And fate granted me with a chance to both get my revenge and my redemption simultaneously: the destruction of G-Corporation.  My desire for revenge against them is so great, that I have even sided with my loathsome father.  Of course, familial ties were not what brought us together, but a common foe: a foe that I intended to destroy by any means necessary…

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KLANG!

   The metallic sound of metal hitting metal echoed throughout the massive room as a middle-aged Japanese man hurled the gargantuan battle ax that he was carrying onto a large table in the center of the room.  Wiping the sweat off of his brow, the man brushed off his purple tuxedo that he was wearing and took a look around the room.

   Twenty-two years ago, this room was a laboratory where dark experiments were carried out using live animals to create monstrosities of nature for the Mishima Zaibatsu.  After Kazuya Mishima lost the power of the Zaibatsu, his father Heihachi shut down the facility in an attempt to cover up the illegal activities the company had undergone.  This room, and the building that it resided in, eventually became forgotten: condemned into obscurity on the outskirts of Tokyo.

  Even if this doesn’t work out, at least being here brings back some old memories, Kazuya thought as he pulled out a small handbook from under his pocket.  Now where is that crippled fool? My pocket agenda says that he arranged to be here right about-

Hearing the door behind him creak, Kazuya raised his head and turned around.  Limping in front of him now was a bald, frail-looking man wearing a white lab coat and dark black pants and shoes and his eyes covered with orange shades.  Despite his appearance, Kazuya knew that this old man was more sinister than his visage led people to believe.

“Hello, Dr. Abel,” the Japanese man nodded as the elder man continued to limp towards him with his walking stick clicking on the cold metal floor, “I hope you have brought your copy of the book with you: unfortunately my hands were full carrying this impressive item you see on the table here.”

“Of course I brought the book with me.  I may be crippled, but I’m not senile,” the scientist said as he handed the large book that was under his free arm to the Japanese man.  “I wouldn’t see why you want this rubbish for the experiment: all this hocus-pocus lunacy is child’s play.”

“I thought the exact same thing only two weeks ago,” Kazuya growled as he opened the book to the bookmarked page, “and I can guarantee you that not all of it is ‘lunacy.’  This particular book happens to come from my father’s library.  If I wasn’t going to use it, Heihachi would have used it first…and I’m not about to let him spoil all my fun.”

“Speaking of whom, I do not think he will be too pleased when he finds out that I’m working for you now,” Dr. Abel hobbled over to another area of the room and pulled an electrode out from a dial on the wall and then stretched it out until it was long enough to follow him back to the table at the center of the room.

“And that is why I am paying you top dollar for you skill…and your silence,” Kazuya walked over to Dr. Abel and too the electrode from his hand and replaced it with a $1000 American dollar bill. “Even though all of us are after G-Corporation, there are still some things I want kept private.”
        
“After this, I’ll send you all the equipment you need from my private lab.  I don’t have the strength anymore to be directly involved, but if it means taking down that treacherous Bryan Fury and his current employers at G-Corporation…” Dr. Abel’s voice became cold and bitter as he trailed off.  At the conclusion of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, Bryan Fury had attacked him and nearly killed him, but instead severely damaged the old man’s spine.  Abel was fortunate that he could still walk at all, although just barely.  I was the one who brought him back from the dead, Abel thought angrily as he turned his back to Kazuya, how dare he do that to me, the ungrateful lout…

“Very well…now let’s begin.” Kazuya put the book he was holding on a nearby chair and clipped the electrode onto the blade of the battle ax that was lying on the table and picked it up.  With a loud scraping sound, Kazuya used the long and heavy weapon to carve a large circle around the table, and then he carefully drew a distinct pattern inside the circle he had created.  It would have been easier to do this in chalk, rather than ruin the tile work, Kazuya mused as he finished drawing the pentagram, and sat the ax next to the table, but if I want this to succeed, the ax has to be the one that draws it.

The ax was nearly seven feet in length, its handle made of a sturdy wood and its blade metallic and dark gray.  Kazuya had purchased the ax via an online auction from a reliable buyer in Egypt.  Carbon dating proved it: the ax had originated from the 16th century.  The auctioneer had dubbed the ax “Kutules” and back when it was first created, it belonged to a powerful and evil warrior.

“Dr. Abel…please hand me the scalpel that you have just finished sterilizing.  Bring the gauze tape with you.  Once you have done that, go over to the switch that will activate the electrode on the ax.”  Kazuya removed his trademark red fingerless gloves from his hands and put them in his pocket while the scientist handed him a surgical scalpel and a roll of gauze tape.  Once he put the gauze in his pocket and Abel hobbled over to his position…Kazuya slit his palm and let his cursed blood drip onto the table that the ax was leaning on.  “Okay, doctor…HIT IT!!!”

Pulling down the lever that activated the electrode, the blade of the ax began to glow a bright blue as sparks began flying out of it, one million volts flowing into the blade.  As the blade continued to shoot sparks, the carvings on the floor started to glow along with it, eventually passing that glow onto the table that Kazuya was bleeding on.  The blood sizzled: quietly at first, but in mere seconds hissed loud enough for even Abel to hear.  

”Umo gue-gue famitsao.  Umo gue-gue famitsao.  Umo gue-gue famitsao…”

Kazuya quietly chanted an incantation of the blood spread across the table, and then seemed to rise like a loaf of bread.  The chanting became louder as Kazuya wrapped his hand in gauze tape, stopping the flow of blood onto the table.  But the pool continued to spread across the table, and its texture continued to fluctuate.

Within seconds, the blood-blob formed into a shape of a humanoid figure; it was at least six-and-a-half feet in height, and its muscles were big and powerful.  More seconds pass, and the body developed more distinguishable features: spiked metal shoulder pads ebony in color, two iron armguards as spiked as the pads, dark brown pants with a black skull covering the crotch area, and iron boots that seemed to have rivets dug into the ankles.  What was most intriguing about the creature was that its skin was a sickly beige color, and on its chest was its pinkish heart, beating for all to see.

Now shouting at the top of his lungs, Kazuya’s neon blue ki crackled in his hand and he put it just above the creature’s head, which was bald and its mouth covered in black rubber.  Suddenly, Kazuya stopped chanting, placing the crackling hand on the forehead of the monster.  With a mighty shout, Kazuya roared as the creatures eyes shot open: white orbs that were as if they were pearls.  “MEZAMERU…ASTAROTH, BLACK GIANT OF ARES!”

    As Kazuya screamed that mighty command, Dr. Abel quickly cut off the electricity running through the electrode.  Taking a few steps back, Kazuya watched the creature as he rose up into a seating position and scratched his stomach.  “Hmmm…what am I doing here?” Astaroth mumbled as he looked around the room.  “I’ve never been in a place like this before…”  

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Astaroth,” Kazuya said calmly as he crossed his arms while the creature turned his head in surprise.  

“You there; where the hell am I!?”  Astaroth’s voice was filled with murderous intent as he jumped off the table and landed with a loud thud.  “Are you the wise guy who has brought me here!?”

“That is correct.  You are now in the twenty-first century, and I was the one who revived you.  As of now, you are officially under my employ.”

“BAH!  The mighty Astaroth works for no one,” the monster picked up his ax.  “Now why don’t you do me a favor and die, peon!?”         
        
Imbecile, Kazuya thought as he dodged Astaroth’s downwards slash, the ground cracking as the blade smashed against it.  Looks like it’s time for a little discipline…

“Hmph…so managed to dodge,” the creature said with a hint of amusement while he pulled his ax from the tile work. “Let’s see if you can do that again…”

“I won’t have to,” Kazuya’s left eye glowed as he began walking towards Astaroth.  However, the creature did not do anything to guard himself.  What’s this, Astaroth thought as he struggled to get his blade into a killing position, I can’t seem to move my arms!  Why that little-

Moving with lightning-quick speed, Kazuya’s hand lunged towards Astaroth’s chest.  Before the creature had a chance to scream, the Japanese man ripped out the creature’s beating heart.  “Do not underestimate me, brute.  I am much more powerful than I appear to be…”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAGH,” the creature let loose a primal cry of agony as he clutched his chest.  “You maggot!  Give that back to me right now!”

“I would be glad to…all you have to do agree to do what I say and I shall give it back.  You cannot lift your ax against me anyway because it was my blood that revived you.  You might as well make the most of the situation that you are in.”  Kazuya tossed the heart up and down as if he were playing with a baseball.  Although he was rather disgusted with holding such a slimy object in his hand, Kazuya did find the creature’s agony amusing.  

“Grrr…” Astaroth stopped screaming for a moment and sat down on the ground.  Although tearing the man’s heart out and returning the favor was prominent on his to-do list, he currently had no way of doing such a feat.  So until I find a way to break those ties… “…what kind of instructions?  If it doesn’t involve carnage and mayhem, then you might as well kill me now!”

Kazuya smirked as the creature stood back up and brushed himself off.  “I can guarantee you that much blood will be shed before my use for you has ended.  After that you can do whatever you wish.  Doesn’t sound like a bad deal, no?”  

“…what’s your name, peon?” Astaroth glared at the dark-gray haired man with anger, but at the same time he was gaining some sort of respect for this man…something that he shouldn’t have been capable of feeling.  Bah…damn human blood…

“My name is Kazuya Mishima,” the Japanese man gave the creature back his heart, which Astaroth snatched from him and shoved it back into his chest, “Here is your first assignment…”