At Gouken's dojo, a shadowy figure appears at the door: Akuma. Gouken welcomes his brother back, and tells him he had hoped someday he would realize that a life of greed would fail to bring the fulfillment he had been searching for. Akuma tells him that there are many paths to enlightenment.



Gouken says that's certainly true, as their order has survived so many centuries because it follows no one path. Akuma tells him that each student is different, so the teacher must choose students of opposite character. Gouken agrees, saying that their interaction as they create their own path makes them stronger than either could ever be alone. Akuma says that the no two students have ever before been brothers. Gouken tells him in some ways it made them closer, but Akuma tells him when he chose his students, he didn't choose brothers. It seems he felt the experiment did not bear repetition.



Gouken says he chose Ken and Ryu based solely on who they were, as their sensei did with them. Gouken levitates and then asks Akuma why he has returned now, after all this time. Akuma laughs and gets up, telling him that he has finally perfected their tradition's ultimate move. Gouken realizes he means the raging demon!



Akuma says yes, and performs the raging demon on Gouken. Gouken can only look on in horror.



Nearby, Ken is fighting against the village champion, who he kicks and then throws. Ryu tells him that he's not taking this fellow seriously, but Ken tells him to give him a break -he could take this guy with both hands tied behind his back! He just wants Ryu to collect all of his winnings...



...because the way the local babes are checking him out, he's going to need all that cash. Ryu tells him to come on, as they'd promised they were going to visit their sensei tonight, and they should have been there by now. Ken is about to resume fighting his opponent, unaware that Akuma has teleported above them, holding Gouken's body. He laughs and drops Gouken.



Ken says he's in a hurry and wants to wrap this up, so does a flying kick. However Ryu notices Gouken just in time, and saves him, but Ken ends up kicking Ryu's arm by accident. Ken wonders what Ryu got in the way for, but then realizes that he's just saved their sensei.



Akuma descends and tells them that he is the brother of their beloved sensei, and within hours, he'll be the undisputed champion of the world. Ryu asks how he was able to beat Gouken, and Akuma tells them that their master is a man, not a God. Any man can fall to a superior man, and he is superior to all men.



Ken tells him they're going to kick his tail from here to Thursday, but Akuma calls him a fool. He says he has mastered the martial arts that they are still learning, along with the technique known to no other living man. Only they, their sensei and himself know their martial art's secrets, but by dawn, he will have that knowledge all to himself. He plans to defeat them both and consume their chi, as he did with Gouken's chi.



As they are mere students, Akuma decides to give them until dawn to prepare for their final combat. Ken wants to take him on right now, as he refuses to cooperate with any plan of his. Akuma tells him he has no choice, no choice at all. Ken tries to punch him, but Akuma disappears just as his fist is about to connect. Ken and Ryu go to Gouken, who is still alive, but weak. Ryu asks how Akuma could have done this, and Gouken says he was so certain Akuma would change.



Many years ago, Gouken and Akuma were sparring with each other. Akuma managed to knock Gouken down, and Gouken told him he would have to keep his guard up for longer in future. He also told him he makes an excellent sparring partner.



Akuma told him he could not abide his brother's sweetness and light. Gouken told him he knew he didn't mean that, and they had been greatly honored, as two brothers had never before been chosen to train together. Akuma scoffed at this, saying that they are two brothers who are more different than any two strangers before them. Gouken told him they learn more from each other than any two before them, and he did not know what fueled the anger within him. But he could learn from it, as he could learn from him.



Akuma angrily shouted that he could learn nothing from him, and did not want to learn anything from him. He threw a fireball at him, whilst telling him he was only fit to live in the monastery. Gouken blocked the attack, as Akuma declared that his own domain was the entire world!



Back in the present, Gouken says that the tradition has always brought opposites together. He had been certain that in time it would happen with him and Akuma, but now he says he was wrong. Ryu tells him Akuma said he stole his chi, and Gouken says it was because of him mastering the raging demon move. Ken thought the raging demon was only a myth, whilst Ryu says that stealing chi is almost impossible. Ryu wants to take Gouken back to his home, whilst Ken thinks Gouken needs the ancient medicines. But Ryu says Gouken needs his chi -if they don't find a way to beat Akuma and recover it, their sensei will surely die.



Ken tells Ryu that everything Gouken taught them was to prepare them for this night, their master must have known this would happen someday. Ryu says they can't fail him, or by dawn they could be dead, and Akuma could be invincible. They take Gouken back to the dojo and ask what else they can do for him, but he tells them to leave him and train. They must stop his brother, save the world from him, and save him from his own evil.



The pair head outside, but Ken blames himself. If he hadn't insisted on hanging around in town and street fighting, they would have been around to help Gouken. Ryu tells him usually he'd be telling him things like that, but what's done is done, and he couldn't have known. Ken still says this is his own fault, and believes their sensei never should have taken him on in the first place. He was just a guy on the streets, running his hustles and scams. He says Ryu was an idealist, the kind of guy the tradition was setup for.



Ryu tells him he didn't think he was a fighter, it wasn't until he trained with Ken that he learnt what he could do. Ken tells him he worked at it, whilst he just screwed around. Ryu says Ken didn't have to work so hard, as it came naturally to him. He wishes it could have been so easy for himself. Ken tells him it was a nice try, but he's never been what their sensei wanted him to be. Ryu tells him he's exactly what their sensei wanted, otherwise he wouldn't have chosen him. He tells him to remember their tradition...



Ken and Ryu were sparring outside of the dojo. Ken hit Ryu with a combination of moves that ending with a dragon punch, which knocked Ryu down. Ryu told Ken he was very good, but Ken said he wasn't just good -he was the best, and that's why their sensei picked him. Ryu said that each day's training was but a step on the long road to mastery. Ken told him it would be a very long road if he kept losing to him. Gouken then appeared and asked if their training was going smoothly.



Ken said that Ryu was a heck of a nice guy -although a little serious -but he's not really in his league. He asked if they could get some more guys up here, fighters who were on his level, and some who were on Ryu's level. That way each of them could get a real workout. Otherwise, he felt himself and Ryu were pretty mismatched. Gouken told him that their tradition's techniques were developed for a world of opposites. Ken could teach Ryu the ways of the real world, whilst Ryu could teach Ken to reach for the stars. Ken said the only stars around here are the ones he'd make Ryu see.



Back in the present, Ken asks if that's what their sensei wanted: a cocky fool. Ryu says they always take a fool, and a philosopher. Ken believes that makes himself a counterpart to Akuma, but Ryu tells him to stop being a bonehead and start training. The two begin to spar.



However after a few moves, Ryu holds his arm in pain. Ken realizes it's the arm he kicked by accident earlier, and Ryu says it hurts pretty bad. But he says he'll make do, as he has to. The two resume fighting, and Ken throws out a hadouken.



Ryu blocks it, but his arm hurts again. Ken tells him that's enough, and says that he's out of this fight. But Ryu refuses, saying this is the fight of their lives. Their sensei needs them now, and he is going to fight Akuma.



Akuma then appears and says he must agree with Ryu -he is going to fight him, as how else is he going to lose? He tells them that he once fought Guile and Bison through illusion, but for control of their tradition, this battle must be man to man. Ken says Akuma must fight them both, but Akuma says surely he wouldn't consider two against one fair. Akuma uses a technique to trap Ken inside a pink substance.



Ken can't get out, but Akuma tells him not to despair, as he'll have his chance in good time. Ryu says it ends here with him, but Akuma asks him how his arm is. Ryu tells him to watch and learn, and the fight begins. Ryu starts things off with a combination of kick moves, but Akuma counters with a fireball.



Ryu blocks it and throws his own fireball out, but doing this makes his arm hurt. He goes on the attack and starts punching Akuma, then kicks him down. But Akuma starts to teleport around.



Ryu goes for another punch which Akuma avoids, and it causes his arm to hurt again. Akuma sees his chance and punches Ryu's injured arm with great force.



Ryu has been defeated, and falls to his knees. Akuma then starts his chi stealing technique, and drains Ryu's chi from him, causing him to fall down. Akuma says Ryu's chi is now his, and tells Ken it's now his turn. He breaks the bubble Ken was stuck in.



Ken charges towards Akuma, but Akuma raises his arm up and then strikes down at the ground. Part of the ground rises right up high into the sky, but Ken says this doesn't scare him. He thinks Akuma just wants to psyche him out, and make him think he's going to lose before the fight even begins. Akuma tells him he will lose, just like Ryu.



Ken starts to fight, and uses his hurricane kick. But Akuma isn't hurt by it at all, and throws Ken. Ken gets back up and charges towards Akuma, but Akuma throws out another fireball, which hits Ken.



Ken gets sent flying off the platform, but he uses his hurricane kick to get back onto it. Akuma tells him that was quick thinking, and Ken says he does his best. He jump kicks Akuma, sending him off the platform.



But Akuma can float in the air, and he throws out several fireballs which break up the platform.



Ken jumps across to where Akuma is and lands another jump kick on him. Akuma tells him that was very good, and his style is a fine blend of tradition and thuggery. Ken says it's just like Akuma's, and he guesses he owes some of that to him. Akuma says he welcomes his challenge, as he has devoted his own life to combat. Others use it to prove something, or demonstrate their power. But he doesn't, as honor and superiority only matter if you admit that other people have value. And he doesn't admit to that, which is why he uses any means necessary to win. He doesn't care about anyone else in the world!



Ken asks if that includes his own brother, but Akuma claims he is related to no one... there is no one like him. He throws a couple of small fireballs and as Ken blocks them, he uses a jump kick. Ken avoids that as well, but Akuma does another jump kick which hits Ken in the back.



He falls off the platform, but manages to grab onto a branch on the way down, slowing his fall. He ends up rolling into some mud, as Akuma floats down and tells him he is tough -a worthy opponent, unlike the first two. Ken says that their martial arts tradition teaches that fighters should encompass two sides, and Akuma has turned his back on his other side. Whilst he himself is no angel, he tells Akuma he is all bad. He fulfils their tradition, whilst Akuma doesn't.



He punches Akuma twice and says about how Akuma only sees the world as a place to conquer, whilst he sees it as a place to live and protect. He can relate to Gouken, even if Akuma can't. And he can relate to Ryu... he can relate to people. Ken's body begins to glow with a blue aura, and he says it feels like the chi of the whole world is flowing into him, and it's because, for the first time, everything is focused through him. And he has Akuma to thank for it.



The two resume fighting each other, and Akuma gets knocked down. He gets back up and says he has Gouken's chi, and Ryu's chi... along with the chi of a 100 vanquished warriors! Ken tells him he may have them, but they aren't his, they're stolen. But his chi is all his own. He does a high kick, which Akuma avoids.



Akuma tells him that for all his skill, he is forgetting that he is the only living master of the raging demon! Ken tells him not if he doesn't give him chance to use it, and he resumes his attack. He hits Akuma with a couple of punches and kicks, knocking his opponent back. Akuma watches as Ken charges towards him with his fists emitting chi, and he realizes it's the flaming dragon punch! Ken hits Akuma with the technique.



Akuma is knocked down, and the chi he had stolen is released. Gouken and Ryu have their chi returned to them, and both are revived. Akuma gets up and tells Ken that this isn't over, and that he's made a terrible enemy today. Ken thinks that whilst Akuma's mouth is moving, he thinks he'd be a whole lot more convincing if he was still pumped full of stolen chi.



Akuma says he'll steal more, but Ken tells him no he won't. He runs towards Akuma, but just as he does a punch, Akuma teleports away. Ryu and Gouken then walk up, and Ryu congratulates Ken on beating Akuma. Gouken tells Ken that he is everything he saw in him.



He is a warrior who can justify the centuries of training that led to this day, a warrior who can walk between the dark and the light, and not lose his way. Ryu calls Ken the world's greatest warrior. Ken tells Ryu he's a heck of a nice guy, but a little too serious. Gouken asks Ken if he sees the difference within himself, and Ken says he feels different. He feels more powerful, and will have to think about it... later.



Ken then changes the conversation by asking Ryu if he still has his winnings from last night, as he wants to get back to town. He's feeling so stoked right now, and he hates to think of those poor babes being deprived of him this way! Ryu tells Ken he'll never change, but Ken tells him you never know.

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