The King of Fighters '98 (drama)

The King of Fighters '98: The Dream Match Never Ends Drama CD is a drama CD released on October 7, 1998 with a Pony Canyon and Scitron and Art label. It previously ran on the Japanese radio show, Game Dra Night. Since this title of The King of Fighters series was a dream match, the stories entailed in the CD are original dramatizations of the year unrelated to other titles. Both stories begin the same.

The last track is a second half of a humorous radio program unrelated to the previous parts. It is a continuation of the same one on the Real Bout Fatal Fury drama CD.

Story
The drama begins with Kyo and Iori getting into a fight. After a few bouts, Kyo is beaten by Iori. Although he lost, the audience realizes that it was a dream when Benimaru wakes his friend up. He tells Kyo that they're at a beach resort and that the next King of Fighters tournament is still a ways off. He also tells him that Kyo scared away the girl he had by screaming Iori's name in his sleep. Once he sees that his friend is fine, Benimaru resumes his flirting with other girls on the beach.

Upset by his dream, Kyo sits up and is met by Shingo and Mai. Apparently, Shingo got lost and needed Mai to guide him back to Kyo. She chides Kyo for leaving his student alone but he refuses to claim responsibility. Shingo gets excited to hear him being referred to as Kyo's student and begins to go on a hyper rant about the fighters he faced. The other two walk out on him.

In the streets near the resort, Shermie confronts Iori, who wants nothing to do with her. Though he threatens to take her life, she is able to raise his interests by tempting a venue to corner Kyo. She elaborates by saying that there is a street fighting arena somewhere in the city's slums and loosely promises to bring Kyo there. Iori, fascinated with the idea of having an early KoF, agrees to the deal.

Part 1
At the resort's casino, Mai draws quite the crowd by scoring big at the roulette table. She bets all her chips and doubles her already high earnings. Before she can continue, she is asked by the casino dealer to leave since he has run out of chips to provide her earnings. He entices her with a passage to a secret place with a wealthier reputation. Mai, who can easily see past all of the casino's tricks, agrees.

Sometime later, she meets with Blue Mary in a secluded alleyway. The agent asks if her if she found the target and thanks her for the trouble. Mai informs her that "the game" the casino is really dealing involves blood money and says that Iori has recently been involved. This news surprises Mary as she knows that Iori has never dealt with the mafia in the past. They ponder if somehow Kyo will be involved since he is Iori's main motivation for entering the tournaments. Mary is convinced of the possibility since she has been aware of Shermie's suspicious activities for some time. She tells her ally that their partnership will end here due to the dangerous change in plans and rides off on her motorcycle.

Elsewhere, Kyo angrily strangles Shermie for speaking about Iori's presence at the resort. He drops her before she loses consciousness and growls that he refuses to listen to a snake's words. She chimes that Iori called her the same name and marvels at the rivals' similar mannerisms. Using his infuriated state against him, she lures him to follow her to where Iori is waiting. Opening the entrance to the tournament, she replies that his rival is waiting at the Death Game, a tournament where fighters are allowed to kill one another. Iori arrives to taunt his rival and Kyo, instilled by the feelings in his dream, hesitates to fight him. Once Iori laughs at his rival's fear, Kyo charges. Shermie tries to stop them as it would ruin her plans but they continue their fight. To Kyo's chagrin, their scuffle ends the same as his dream and he loses. He is able to dodge the finishing blow and Iori remains disappointed with his rival's performance.

Benimaru, waiting in his hotel room, wonders where Kyo could have gone all day. Hearing a knock at the door and thinking it to be Kyo, he opens it and is greeted by Mai. At first, he thinks himself to be the luckiest man in the world until she shatters his dreams by asking about Kyo's whereabouts. She seems concerned to hear he's still missing and tells Benimaru all that she knows about the current situation.

Out in the rain, the battered Kyo falls on the sidewalk. He is haunted by Iori mocking him and calling him a pathetic loser. Using the wall nearest to him for support, he rises to his feet and is found by Mary. She offers to treat his injuries yet he pridefully refuses, takes a few steps, and loses consciousness. When he comes to, Mary has patched up Kyo in her apartment. He tries to get up so he can enter the tournament and is surprised to hear that she already knows about it. She asks if he was confronted by Shermie and takes his silence as an affirmative answer. Since Mary professionally refuses to answer her obligations for being involved, he tells her to not interfere with his match with Iori. She warns him that he'll lose his life if he loses a second time but he is resolved to win and live. As a person who faces death all the time on the job, she muses his words usually means that the person isn't afraid of death. However, she admits that they are also guileless and shallow, and therefore show a person's real weakness. True strength in her eyes comes from those who are willing to protect the happiness of their loved ones. She asks if Kyo still believes this and he replies that he doesn't know. Getting up with his own strength, he tells her that he only wants to win before leaving her place.

Finding a phone booth, Kyo dials up Yuki's phone number. The audience listens to a one-sided conversation of Kyo talking to her. The phone demands more change and Kyo -having none on him- hurries to tell her that he means to end his grudge with Iori. He tries to prepare her of the possibility of him dying but the phone cuts off the link.

Nearby a train station, Shermie reports to Iori that Kyo will also participate in the Death Game. Iori, who is satisfied with beating his rival, tells her that he is no longer interested. She giggles at his fickle desire as it contradicts his often heard declarations of ending Kyo's life. She notes that perhaps Iori doesn't want to kill his rival after all since that would potentially rid his one reason for living. Furious, he tries to stifle her mockery with his flame but she dodges it and continues by saying she spoke the truth. Her words were enough for him to continue his participation in the Death Game.

Confused by his actions, Kyo apologizes to Yuki in his thoughts as he wasn't acting to character. He admits the possibility of him never returning to her rings true and regrets not telling her this when he had the chance. In his angst, his body becomes surrounded by his flame. He chuckles once he sees it and bids Yuki to look at his new blue flames. The charm Yuki gave him last year jingles in his pocket and he seems surprised to have kept it with him the entire time.

Mary faces Shermie and they sarcastically complement one another for being under handed and sneaky. The agent mentions the Death Game and Shermie joyfully replies that she is a fan of it. Mary tries to corner her about Shermie's dealings with Kyo and Iori yet the latter feigns ignorance. In the distance, police sirens wail and Mary says that this year's Death Match will never happen. Shermie decides to take her leave and rings that if she loses to Mary in the next King of Fighters, she will tell the agent all that she knows.

The scene shifts to where the police squad is at with Mai and Benimaru searching for Kyo in the crowd. Mai spots Iori and, thinking that he maybe lead the way to Kyo, follows him. Benimaru tags along to assure her safety. They reach the roof of a building where the rivals face off once more. Kyo tells his rival that he now has the power to fight him and ignites his blue flames. He reasons that he has found his strength in these flames since he doesn't want to understand his reasons for fighting. Iori is initially startled and tells him that they'll settle their differences at KoF instead. Kyo agrees as long as his flames are still tinged by then.

Part 2
At the hotel, Shingo runs off to get Benimaru and Kyo refreshments and beverages. Once he leaves, Benimaru expresses his hushed concern with the teenager calling himself Kyo's disciple and tells his friend to lose him before he ruins their reputation. Kyo lazily says that Shingo isn't that bad but says he may have misjudged Shingo as a fighter. Their conversation is interrupted by a glass cup hitting the floor. Shingo awkwardly laughs and apologizes for his clumsiness. He runs out to buy their meal, and the veterans surmise that he heard them. Kyo admits that Shingo's sense for fighting, while good and adequate, may not save him from the stronger fighters out there and considers telling him to quit now before he regrets it. Shermie knocks at their door and seems pleased with their conversation. She says that she may have something interesting for Kyo.

As Kyo's words echo in his thoughts, Shingo wonders what's wrong with his fighting sense. Too frustrated to think about it any further, he kicks a can which lands on a lady's head. She scolds him and he, while apologizing, recognizes her as the fighting idol, Athena. She also remembers him and is glad to see him. She explains that she is lost and he offers to lead the way to her hotel. Twenty tries later, the couple end up in the bad part of the slums. Before they can leave, Athena is captured by a flying thug. He demands that Shingo give him his wallet for Athena's safety. He complies yet the thief complains that he was jipped of rest of the cash. The younger fighters spot their assailant to be Choi, who is obviously ran away from Kim's training. With hopes to silence them, Choi challenges them to a battle to which Shingo obliges as a test for his fighting ability. Shingo, unaffected by Choi's greatest attack, is able to beat him easily. Athena complements his improvement which she thinks was made due to him training with Kyo. He feels uneasy upon hearing Kyo's name and offers to continue the search for her hotel.

They move to leave until Shingo spots Kyo and Shermie going to the Death Game; they follow him in curiosity. Seated in the audience of a fighting ring, they see Iori and Kyo at odds with one another. After seven bouts, Kyo is defeated by Iori. Seeing his idol beaten, Shingo runs to his side and the barely conscious Kyo tells him to run before passing out. Iori tells him to step aside since he needs to execute Kyo. Shingo argues that it's inhumane in a match but the red head injects that this is a death match. When Shingo says he won't allow it, Iori glooms at him and repeats his demand with a sinister aura. Faced with Iori's intimidating eyes, Shingo loses face and begins to understand what Kyo meant earlier. Moments before Iori strikes, Athena launches a Psycho Ball and the duo escape with Kyo. His rival doesn't give chase as he is confident that he'll finish Kyo off in the next KoF tournament.

Back at Kyo and Benimaru's hotel room, they tell Benimaru what happened. Benimaru, already suspicious of Shermie, tells them that his friend got his just deserts for being so gullible. He assures the concerned teens that Kyo is fine and he'll probably just shrug off his loss. Shingo is worried that his idol may crack since this is the first lost he has seen from the-never-trains-Kyo but Benimaru replies that Kyo will try to act cool about it. The door to the adjoining room opens and Kyo steps out. He apologizes to Benimaru, says that he'll be stepping out for awhile, and thanks the younger pair for helping him. Moments before he exits, Shingo begs him to take him along for training. He acknowledges his weaknesses and learned from his encounter with Iori how far he needs to go. Never wanting to feel pathetic and helpless again, Shingo requests that Kyo make him his real disciple. Kyo, grumbling that Iori shouldn't bother him, leaves. Athena wonders if Kyo will be all right in his wounded state but Benimaru says that this is his normal routine. He draws Shingo a map of Kyo's training spot and hands it to him. Once Shingo runs out, Benimaru murmurs that he is looking forward to seeing the results of Shingo's training in the next King of Fighters tournament.

Time passes and, in the 1998 tournament, Shingo faces Kyo in the ring. He quickly goes offensive and is swiftly bested by his idol each time he charges. Shingo desires for his fists to reach his target and, on the fourth bout, his body begins to feel like its on fire. Kyo charges since he is idle and Shingo yells out his move's name with hopes of a flame bursting out. Both of them are knocked off their feet though Kyo is able to stand and claim victory. He shoos the paramedics away from Shingo and offers to take him to the infirmary. He praises his opponent on finally landing one good hit on him -even if it was flameless. Shingo, after taking Kyo's hand to get back on his feet, expresses his wishes for Kyo to win against Iori. His idol says that victory will be a given and helps shoulder Shingo's path off the stage.

Cast

 * Kyo Kusanagi - Masahiro Nonaka
 * Iori Yagami - Kunihiko Yasui
 * Shingo Yabuki - Takehito Koyasu
 * Athena Asamiya - Haruna Ikezawa
 * Benimaru Nikaido, Choi Bounge - Monster Maezuka
 * Shermie - Hazuki Nishikawa
 * Mai Shiranui - Akoya Sogi
 * Blue Mary - Harumi Ikoma
 * Sponsor of the Death Game - Hajime Hinomoto
 * Casino Dealer - Kasumi Masago
 * Punk - Mineo Sushida
 * Radio DJ - Nezumi
 * KoF Announcer - Kouichi Asakako
 * Narrator - Akio Ohtsuka