067. Mai Shiranui's Test?

“The one who can draw the Violet Azure Sword is my destined love.”
“My true love is a hero above heroes; one day he’ll come for me, clad in golden armor, riding on a rainbow cloud...”

If the fairy Zixia from “A Chinese Odyssey” discovered that the one who drew the Violet Azure Sword was an eighty-year-old man—stooped, red-nosed from drink, spending his days either drunk or asleep—would she be happy?
Perhaps, maybe, she would use the Moonlight Box to travel decades into the past, just to see if this man was always like this in his youth.
Or perhaps, she’d simply renege on her own promise.

Thor’s Hammer, of course, is not Zixia; it’s just a hammer. Whoever wields it has already been chosen by Odin. It doesn’t matter if the wielder is a burly colossus or a scruffy old man—so long as he has justice in his heart, true justice, he may lift it and wield it as he pleases.

And as for Chin Gentsai, though he looks a little unkempt, he truly is a man of justice.
In the original ending of King of Fighters '94, the final boss Rugal Bernstein even remarked that Chin’s team was “the only team not fighting for personal gain.”

So, Chin Gentsai fights evil because of the justice in his heart; he cares nothing for appearances because he sees through it all, acting as he wishes, never betraying his nature—a true martial arts master.

Strictly speaking, Athena Asamiya could also fit the bill, but her background is Japanese... so she’s out of the running.

As the crowd watched, stunned, Chin Gentsai tossed the hammer in his hand as if it were nothing special.

“Tsk! This thing looks decent enough. Should fetch a good price—enough for plenty of drink, I’d say.”

With that, he slung Thor’s Hammer at his waist, took a swig of wine, and swaggered over to Su Ye.

“Little Ye, when are we heading to New York? It’s been ages since I saw the old friends—starting to miss them.”

Though Chin spoke with nonchalance, Su Ye could hear a trace of eagerness in his words.
Clearly, missing old friends was part of it, but showing off his new toy—well, that was the real reason.

So many fighters tried and failed to lift the hammer, and this old man just strolled away with it. Imagine tossing it in front of Master Tang and Master Hanzo in New York:
“Look here—a little souvenir Grandpa picked up for you on the road. Have fun!”

The looks on their faces—like men suffering from days of constipation and powerless to do anything about it—would be priceless, more satisfying than downing a bottle of strong liquor.

Just imagining it made Chin almost impatient.

Chin Gentsai was eager to go to New York, and since Su Ye knew the ropes in this city, he couldn’t delay either. He booked tickets on the spot, and by afternoon, they were on a plane.

Meanwhile, SHIELD agents were still rushing to the scene.

As for the hammer’s original owner, Thor Odinson, he had been taken to a nearby hospital—strapped down as a violent lunatic with delusions of being a mythological god.
A man of boundless strength, with clear intent to attack and claiming to be a god, was considered a high-risk patient and received the strictest care.

But neither the SHIELD agents nor Thor himself knew that the hammer they longed for had already boarded a plane bound for New York.

Since Thor once hung the hammer on a coat rack, there was no issue with Chin Gentsai taking it on the flight.

Upon arrival in New York, the group that left with three returned as seven, their ranks considerably swelled.

After landing, at Chin’s subtle prodding, Su Ye hailed a cab and soon brought him to Tang Fulu’s Bajiquan dojo.

Su Ye didn’t join in the banter between the three old men; he was preoccupied with a dilemma—what to do about Mary.

He’d gone out to fight without bringing Mai Shiranui, and now he’d returned with a girl both alluring and mysterious. How would Mai take that?
If he wasn’t careful, there’d be hell to pay.

At moments like this, it pays to have good friends.

Joe first clapped Terry on the shoulder and said loudly, “Terry, you’re busy with the orphanage, right? Want your big brother Joe to show you around? I know this area like the back of my hand.”

“Huh?” Terry started to reply, but Joe pressed him back down and turned to Mary.

“Miss Mary, care to join us? We’ll show you around New York, and you’ll get to know the place.”

He then shot a look at Su Ye. “You stay here. You’ve been away from the dojo for ages; time for you to get back to your duties. Some coach you are.”

In Fatal Fury and King of Fighters, when Andy wanted to avoid Mai’s marriage pressure, Joe was always the one to help. Same here: Joe whisked Mary away, giving Su Ye time to go home and handle his personal affairs.

Su Ye put on a show of reluctance, but inwardly, he was thanking every ancestor in Joe’s family tree... well, almost.

At the Shiranui Dojo, Su Ye had barely stepped inside when a flash of red flew at him.

“Ye!”

Mai Shiranui, clad in her red Phantom costume, leaped into Su Ye’s arms, her embrace fragrant and sweet.

“Ahem!”
“Ahem!”
Just as Mai was about to melt into Su Ye, a chorus of coughs sounded nearby.

Mai blushed and quickly let go, pulling Su Ye over to introduce her friends.

“Ye, this is King, and this is Yuri Sakazaki—both are my close friends.”

“This is Su Ye—my... boyfriend!” Mai said happily, clinging to Su Ye.

“Hello,” Su Ye greeted both, then turned to Yuri.
“I ran into your brother Ryo in South Town. He wants you home for dinner.”

Yuri huffed, raising her fists before her chest. “It’s fun here with Mai—food, drinks, everything! I’m not leaving until I’ve had my fill.”

Su Ye glanced at the pair of A’s on Yuri and thought, Girl, you’d be better off back home; in this land of average C-pluses, you’re out of your depth.

“Thank you, Mr. Su!” King bowed in gratitude.
Her younger brother John was ill, and the medical bills were steep. She’d fought in underground matches and worked as a bouncer, but still couldn’t save enough. Thanks to Su Ye’s help finding a doctor and covering the costs, her brother could finally be treated.

This life-saving kindness left her at a loss for how to repay him.

“From now on, I’m yours. Whatever you ask—if I can do it, I won’t refuse,” King said earnestly. Mai nodded in agreement. “Yes, King always keeps her word!”

Su Ye was taken aback. Mai might be well-endowed, but she was usually sharp—yet here her best friend was openly declaring herself to her boyfriend, and Mai didn’t seem bothered.
Or perhaps... this was a test?

A flash of white light crossed Su Ye’s mind. Truly, life is full of traps.

No good deed goes unpunished; there is no love without reason. If he refused King’s gratitude, it would seem he had ulterior motives; but if he accepted and took her up on her offer, would Mai approve?
Opening a harem in front of his girlfriend—was he not afraid of being stabbed?

“Well, I’m thinking of opening a bar. How about helping me manage it?”