As for our protagonist, Cloud was currently enjoying the premium post-battle treatment befitting a King of Fighters.
He half-reclined on a makeshift "human sofa" constructed from Mai Shiranui and Yuri Sakazaki's soft thighs. Nearby, Aoi Kusanagi offered him a freshly disinfected wet towel.
"Ahh..."
Cloud gazed at the sunrise at a forty-five-degree angle and released a profoundly deep sigh.
"All my life, I've been indifferent to fame and fortune, asking nothing but to live in peace. My greatest wish has always been world peace."
"But look at this. Heaven never grants what we wish for. There are always troublemakers forcing this honest man to pick up his weapons and defend justice."
"My life... is just too hard."
This peak-level "humble brag" successfully earned him a complete set of "eye-roll" specials from every woman present, plus "middle finger" salutes from every man.
"Hmph, always showing off." Mai's mouth said one thing, but her hands carefully wiped the blood from his face.
Just as the atmosphere settled into peaceful harmony—
An utterly out-of-place figure, radiating desperate "survival instinct" energy, came scrambling over from the other side of the ruins.
It was Mr. Big.
His current state could only be described as utterly wretched.
That fancy white suit had become "beggar's rags." His gleaming bald head was decorated with a comical splatter of bird droppings.
"L-Lord Cloud!"
Mr. Big threw himself before Cloud and dropped to his knees with a thud, clinging to Cloud's leg while crying a river of snot and tears.
"My Lord! You are my savior, my second father, the messiah of South Town! From this day forward, I, Big, will be your faithful ox and horse, willing to walk through fire and water!"
This sudden "claiming a new daddy" move left everyone thoroughly bewildered.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Cloud's scalp tingled at this abrupt display of "filial piety." "Let's talk like normal people. Don't bow so deeply right off the bat. I'm still young—I don't need a godson older than my actual father."
Only then did Mr. Big wipe his tears and rise from the ground, though his back remained bent like a boiled shrimp.
"My Lord, now that Geese and Krauser have both fallen, the entire underworld of South Town is leaderless—it's complete chaos. I implore you to... step up, take control of South Town, and restore order!"
His words actually hit the mark.
Every gaze unconsciously gathered on Cloud.
Indeed—conquering is hard, but ruling is harder.
Now that Geese was gone, who would fill this massive power vacuum?
Were they going to let this city, which had just crawled out of "hell mode," descend back into free-for-all chaos?
Yet facing this "King of South Town" throne that would drive any ambitious person mad with desire, our protagonist Cloud merely... gave a look of pure disgust and shook his head.
"You want me to manage South Town?"
He pointed at himself, his expression suggesting he'd just heard something as absurd as "letting a husky guard a gold vault."
"Are you joking?! I'm a man aspiring to be a perfectly ordinary landlord! Managing a city is 996-overtime-level suffering—whoever wants that job can have it!"
"Not me either!" Terry immediately raised his hand in agreement, taking a big swig of beer. "My dream is to ride my motorcycle around the world and... eat every hamburger on the planet."
"I'm going back to the dojo to revive Kyokugenryu!" Ryo declared with righteous conviction.
For a moment, these heroes who had just fought side by side began frantically "passing the buck" when faced with the "South Town CEO" position—as if avoiding a plague.
The scene perfectly resembled a company meeting where the boss asks "Who wants to take on this project nobody wants?"
Watching this group of fighters—"martially virtuous, politically useless"—Mr. Big felt a small, humble hope kindle in his heart.
He tentatively asked, "So... what you're all saying is...?"
Cloud's gaze fell upon him like a hawk's, making Mr. Big's skin crawl.
"Simple." A "friendly" smile curved Cloud's lips. "Since you're so enthusiastic, the property management of South Town... is now your responsibility."
"Huh?!" Mr. Big blinked, then was instantly overwhelmed by a surge of joy as if he'd won a fifty-million-dollar lottery!
He... was he about to ascend to the heavens and become South Town's new "king"?!
But before he could celebrate for three seconds, Cloud's next words doused him like ice water from head to toe.
"However, there are some... ground rules we need to establish."
Cloud raised three fingers. His smile remained warm, but to Mr. Big, it looked more terrifying than a devil's contract.
"First!" Cloud's voice carried zero emotion. "All ordinary citizens of South Town are now Class-A protected species. I don't want to see anything like 'urban beautification fees' or any other 'disharmonious' practices in South Town ever again. Anyone who dares bully them—I will personally send them to keep Geese company."
"Second!" Terry stepped forward, dangerous light glinting in his eyes.
"Vice, gambling, and drugs—the dirty trinity. I don't care how you ran things before. Starting today, vice and drugs? If I see them again... I'll let your head experience what a Power Geyser feels like."
"Third!" Ryo added, his voice booming like a bell.
"Fighters can have their disputes. But they must follow the rules of martial honor! From now on, all conflicts in South Town's underworld will be settled with fists!"
"Anyone who dares pull a gun in the city and disturb civilians... the Kyokugenryu dojo will be happy to offer them a complimentary bone-setting service."
These three rules—domineering yet imbued with the spirit of the martial world—left Mr. Big drenched in cold sweat.
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