The King of Fighters XV/Team-Character Stories

This page includes English translations for the team stories found on The King of Fighters XV Official Website.

Hero Team
It is the day after an invitation to the King of Fighters winds up on Tung Fu Rue's doorstep.

"I have no intention of joining the tournament."

Shun'ei and Meitenkun are wide-eyed at the first words their master speaks on the matter.

"What?! What do you mean, Grandpa?!"

"Awww man! So we're sitting it out this time around?"

Seeing his pupils' shocked and disappointed faces, Tung shakes his head.

"Now, I didn't say that. You two should team up with the Kusanagi boy this time."

"Kyo Kusanagi?"

"That's the one. Shun'ei, Meitenkun, you grew so much in the last tournament — both physically and mentally. You should have no trouble teaming up with other fighters. Think of this as part of your training!"

The old master holds out a couple of plane tickets to the two boys. Shun'ei and Meitenkun each take one, staring intently at the text printed on them. As he watches his young disciples, Tung's expression softens.

"I shall speak with Kyo's father. Be careful on your journey to Japan."

"Benimaru Nikaido? How'd you end up subbing in for Kyo?"

Fresh off the plane from China to Japan, the disciples make their way to the airport's exit, where they are unexpectedly greeted by Kyo's usual teammate Benimaru. As soon as he sees Shun'ei's puzzled expression and Meitenkun nodding off, Benimaru chuckles bitterly and shrugs his shoulders.

"Apparently his hands are full with some 'other business,' so he asked me to come instead."

"I don't remember agreeing to this..."

At Shun'ei's astonishment, Benimaru puts a hand to his forehead, exasperated.

It was only yesterday that Kyo had asked Benimaru to substitute for him. Daimon had been busy with his Judo alliance, and Kyo had something else to attend to, so Benimaru figured he'd sit out the KOF this time around. But just as he was getting relaxed, he got a sudden call.

After explaining this to Shun'ei and Meitenkun, Benimaru turns to face the pair again.

"You don't mind if I join your team, do you? Not that you have much of a choice, from the looks of it."

"Yeah. But I know we've fought before, it's just that we don't know a thing about each other. What if—"

...What if I lose control of my power and start going berserk?

Shun'ei clams up, swallowing his words. Benimaru frowns at the boy's downcast expression, but before he can say anything, a loud yawn pierces the silence.

"Don't worry about it, Shun!"

Shifting his pillow under his arm, Meitenkun tugs at the hem of Shun'ei's clothes with his free hand. Surveying Benimaru and his fellow disciple with drowsy eyes, the boy smiles innocently.

"Besides, Master Tung said this was part of our training. So why don't we all just get along, huh? Happy to team up with you, Benimaru!"

Seeing the grinning Meitenkun hold out a hand, Shun'ei lets the tension leave his body and laughs awkwardly.

"...I guess you're right. Let's do this, Benimaru Nikaido."

"Yeah, back at you, you two!"

As the three exchange handshakes, a plane roars overhead. Shun'ei and Meitenkun look up, catching sight of a white vapor trail cutting across the clear evening sky.

"Let's bring Grandpa back some good news, shall we?"

"Eheheh, sounds like a plan to me."

Benimaru slaps his hands on the shoulders of the grinning disciples, cracking a smile of his own.

"Now then, how about we go celebrate our new team with a meal? It's on me, so feel free to go ham."

"Really and truly?! Thanks a bunch, Benimaru! I say we go grab some Japanese barbecue!"

"C'mon, Meiten, mind your manners..."

"Barbecue, you say? Okay, coming right up."

Meitenkun practically jumps up and down in eagerness, while Shun'ei frowns and jabs him with an elbow. Benimaru, however, pays the pair no mind, searching for a shop with the manner of a seasoned pro. Moments later, he thrusts his smartphone in front of the disciples.

"How about this spot? I went with some buds a while back. Pretty tasty."

As he swipes through the photos on the screen, one after another bewitching platters of what look like Japanese Black Wagyu appear, flanked by a luxurious assortment of side dishes. Shun'ei and Meitenkun stare at the screen as gasps of wonder leave their lips.

"Th-This is incredible. Can we really go?"

"Loosen up! This is a celebration, ain't it?"

Benimaru's smile shows no sign of someone trying to show off for the youngsters. Shun'ei lets his gaze fall from the man and mutters softly.

"Didn't expect that..."

"Huh?"

"You act showy and shallow, but you can look after people when it counts."

"Heheh, lemme tell you a secret: it's all about the contrast. Ladies go wild for that kinda thing."

Just then, Meitenkun shows the screen to Shun'ei and exclaims with excitement.

"Hey, lookie, Shun! They got a whole buncha desserts, too!"

"What?! Oh boy, that looks tasty..."

Shun'ei is unable to hide his smile at the sight of the colorful confectionaries. Seeing the unexpected hint of childish innocence on Shun'ei's face, Benimaru grins and puts his arms around the boys' shoulders.

"Well now, got a sweet tooth, do ya? Chow down to your heart's content, Shun ♪"

"Hey. I appreciate the grub, but don't go acting like we're best buddies now."

"Awww, don't be shy, Shunny! ♪"

"Don't make fun of me, dammit!"

The bright evening sunlight shines on the trio as they leave the airport behind them.

However, none of them could have predicted that only days later, they would meet a girl whose appearance would herald a calamity in the tournament...

Sacred Treasures Team
In the dead of night, wind blows through a subway tunnel steeped in shadow, causing the tail ends of a man’s coat flutter side to side. Behind disheveled bangs hides a cold stare, which turns to the sound of two sets of clacking heels approaching from behind.

"I hope we have found you in good spirits, Iori Yagami."

"Heheh, seems you’re still fruitlessly resisting the call of that blood of yours. Disappointing."

The voices belong to Mature and Vice, members of the Orochi clan who haunt Iori like ghosts. The pair of beauties stop a few tiles short of him, their smiles as chilling as they are alluring.

"We told you that your nightmare was only just beginning. The souls that poured out of that broken vessel continue to wander the earth."

"This, and your boiling blood—it's all a portent of despair. The cracks in this world's fabric continue to grow and spread."

"Tch. Same crap as always..."

Purple light floods the station with a roar, drowning out the faint glow of the electric signage. Mature and Vice narrow their eyes at the fierce, steady, and somehow ominous blaze.

Iori turns slowly, curling fingers wreathed in purple flame.

"Get lost. Otherwise, these flames'll send you off—to hell, that is."

Faced with a fiery savagery, Mature lets out a sigh of contentment. Vice, on the other hand, grins like a cat that's found a plump mouse.

Light flickers behind the strangely relaxed pair, silhouetting them in purple flame. Their eyes gleam in the intermittent darkness.

"We'll be in the front row watching you writhe in this nightmare."

"Make sure you give us a good show."

Vice rocks and sways, and Mature leans forward bewitchingly. They stretch out their fingers, pointing at Iori...or beyond him.

"Your destiny lies just ahead..."

An out-of-service train thunders past, cutting the tension like a knife. Where Iori had been glaring, the two beauties had already vanished. Hair and coat buffeted by the gust of wind, he slowly clenches his hand, flames now dissipated.

The sound of heels clacking on the tiles once again appears behind Iori. As the measured steps move closer, he feels eyes on his back.

"So this is where you were. I've been looking all over for you."

At the woman's voice, Iori turns.

The dignified voice belongs to Chizuru Kagura. She stares directly at Iori and continues to speak.

"Iori Yagami. Will you join me as part of Team Sacred Treasures?"

A flock of pigeons takes off against a backdrop of thin clouds rolling in the clear sky.

A young man whiles away time in a park in the corner of the city, far from the metropolitan hustle and bustle. As the water fountain burbles behind him, the man—Kyo Kusanagi—glances down at his watch. A minute before the arranged meeting time, a motorbike engine purrs through the tranquil thicket.

"My apologies. I hope you didn't wait too long."

The sports bike stops in front of him, and Kyo shrugs at the woman gracefully dismounting it.

"Pretty late for you, Kagura."

"They sealed off the highway due to a traffic accident. I rushed over fast as I could."

"Hey now, you better not have broken the speed limit getting here."

After glancing over to the bike, Chizuru takes off her helmet and knits her beautiful brows at Kyo's teasing.

"You know I wouldn't do something like that."

She takes a moment to collect herself before locking eyes with Kyo, gravitas in her gaze.

"Now, onto the main topic, Kusanagi."

As he begins to listen to what Chizuru has to say, the wisecracking attitude vanishes from his face.

The warmth of the sunshine that had filled the park disappears, as if clouds were passing over the sun. A faintly chilly shade falls over the pair.

"Remember Verse, that mysterious monster that appeared in the last tournament? Orochi's residual spirit wasn't all that it resurrected."

"Yeah... You're talking about these guys, aren't you."

Kyo takes out his phone in response.

His screen shows a photo Chizuru had sent to him a few days prior: three individuals blending into the cityscape, members of the Orochi clan they had supposedly defeated and sealed away.

Chizuru frowns at Kyo's hardened expression and continues to speak in a hushed tone.

"Since then, some sort of power has begun to interfere with Orochi's seal. The Yata clan can still ward it off for now...but this power grows day by day."

"Do you think it's their doing?"

Kyo points at his phone, but Chizuru shakes her head in response.

"I'm afraid that is beyond my knowledge. Even so, this seems somewhat different from the power of the Four Heavenly Kings. If I had to describe it, it's as if the natural order of the world itself is being altered..."

Chizuru pauses. A strong wing kicks up, rustling the trees noisily. Crows caw in the distance.

"Are they trying to start something? Or perhaps they've been wrapped up in this again? I'll need your and Yagami's help if I'm going to figure out the truth."

Sunlight suddenly cuts through the cloud cover.

Chizuru turns to face Kyo with a sense of formality, her voice elegant and dignified.

"Kyo Kusanagi. Will you join me as part of Team Sacred Treasures?"

Kyo shifts his eyes from hers to his feet.

"Man, I've told you this stuff with ancestors and duties has nothing to do with me. Besides, just thinking of being all buddy-buddy with Yagami makes me sick. I can't do it."

Having spoken his mind, Kyo lets out a short sigh.

"...Or at least, that's what I'd like to say. I doubt you'd give up that easily. Just this once, alright?"

He raises his head to meet Chizuru's gaze. His stiff, disgruntled grimace, along with any resignation or shock, is gone from his face—only a wry smile remains. Seeing this, the priestess' anxious expression melts away, and her lips turn up into a smile of their own. "Thank you, Kusanagi."

But the next moment, Kyo turns away.

"I'll team up with you, but I have one condition."

"What condition?"

"Once everything's cleaned up, I don't want to hear any complaints about what I do afterward."

Kyo tosses these words over his shoulder, somehow eliciting a strained laugh from Chizuru. She murmurs in a voice quieter than the rustling grass.

"...Two peas in a pod, you are."

"Huh? You say something?"

"No, it's nothing."

Chizuru reaches toward her motorbike and picks up her helmet. Straddling the bike again, she speaks to Kyo as he watches her with a hint of reservation.

"I understand. If we fulfill our goal, I promise not to meddle with both of your affairs. But until the threat to Orochi's seal is eliminated...our mission as Team Sacred Treasures takes priority, and I expect your cooperation."

"Sure, I'll 'cooperate'. I'll give you the bare minimum, at least."

Chizuru raises an eyebrow to his lackluster reply before revving her engine and zooming away. After watching her leave, Kyo looks back to the smartphone in his hand.

A different message from before is displayed on the screen. On the sender-line is one word: "Dad".

"Okay... So what the hell am I gonna do about this pain in the ass?"

Though he sounds at a loss, his finger swipes through his phone until it reaches a certain phone number.

He taps it without hesitation and brings the phone to his ear as he begins to walk.

"Yo, Benimaru? I've got a favor to ask you..."

Fatal Fury Team
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Orochi Team
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Art of Fighting Team
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Ikari Warriors Team
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Secret Agents Team
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Super Heroines Team
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Galaxy Anton Wrestling Team (G.A.W. Team)
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Ash Team
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K' Team
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Unnamed Team
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Unnamed Team
TBA