The King of Fighters '94 (Dengeki)

Dengeki CD Bunko ~ Best Game Selection 13 ~ The King of Fighters '94 (電撃CD文庫　ベストゲームセレクション１３　ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ’９４) is a dramatization of the events predating The King of Fighters '94 made by Dengeki Bunko. It was released on January 31, 1995 with a Media Works label. As with other Dengeki adaptions, this CD comes with an illustrated booklet, remixes of themes from the game, and uses various famous actors for the game's characters.

Story
The plot begins with Rugal narrating the words being inputted into his typewriter for a team tournament. He repeats the words in the game's opening and signs his invitations as "R".

Back in Japan, a lazy Kyo chats with one of his friends from school. Although his acquaintance jibs him for lolly gagging, Kyo replies that he feels a bit more tense than usual like he is before a fight. When the wind blows a few scant cherry blossom petals their way, he is nostalgic at the time of the year. In the tranquility of nature, Goro is training his body for speed and endurance. He loses his concentration at the last minute and smashes the ground to save himself from being stung by bees. He falls into the cold spring below and takes a break by a campfire. Hearing the rustle of cherry blossom trees, he states that a year has passed since a particular event happened. Out in the town with a girl strapped to his hip, Benimaru asks her name and she says it's Sakura. The name is reminiscent to a memory he had so he abruptly runs off.

The trio instinctively meet up in the same location where a martial arts tournament was held the previous year. At that time, the fighters had hardly known one another and the cherry blossoms were nearing the end of their blooming season. They remember when Kyo was still a newcomer to the fighting cycle, a time when Benimaru was more cockier about his reputation, and Goro breaking up their arguments with one another. All three pave through the competition and face each other in the finals. Though he has a rough time with them, Kyo surpasses his rivals and earns first place. The defeated fighters, frustrated at their loses, watch the bittersweet wilting of the cherry trees together.

In the present, both Goro and Benimaru relates accepting their defeats with sportsmanship and respect for Kyo. Once he shows them the new tournament invitation, they mutually agree to team up and plan their rematches later.

During a thunderstorm, Rugal explains the purpose of The King of Fighters tournament: to test the world's strongest fighters against his own. He rates the worthiness of the participants he chose, saying that they would all be fabulous furniture in his mansion. At the end of his monologue, he's blasted by lightning.

Opening her business as usual, King is visited by an acquaintance of hers named Jones. She tells him that bar isn't open yet but he says that he only came to hand her an envelope. After he leaves for work, she opens it and reads her invitation to the King of Fighters tournament. Yuri, who is sauntering on the streets, is still frustrated at her phone conversation with her brother. Despite her growth as a fighter, she couldn't convince Ryo of her guaranteed safety and he hangs up once she correctly guesses his team. Also walking around the streets is Mai, who was stranded when Andy suddenly left with his team of choice. Venting her anger at the situation, she kicks an idle can which lands on Yuri's head. The two fighters recognize one another and, while devouring lunch, agree to team up. Yuri knows who to ask for their third member and they immediately board a flight to London.

Spending the day to enjoy the sights of the United Kingdom, Yuri leads her curious companion to King's place during the evening. Once the usual courtesies are out of the way, the younger lady decides to withhold their request after King closes shop. In gratitude, King offers to give them anything on the menu free of charge. Closing time comes around and the trio are cleaning up. Yuri notices King's invitation and the latter replies that she has no desire to enter since she enjoys her peaceful life as a barkeep. Mai and Yuri leave for the night but still have hopes of trying to convince King to join them. Alone at last, King uses this chance to work out and train.

She entrusts Jones to keep an eye on her store the following day. While chatting with him, he marvels her hands and says that they're much different than his. He compares his hands as plain and forgettable while hers is beautiful and mysteriously strong. Mai tries to get her attention by throwing a rock near her yet King still leaves. The former bouncer has a monologue while walking down the streets, which reveals her inner contradictory desire to return to the ring even though she swore off fighting. Her thoughts distract her on the job so Mai and Yuri become her helping hands for the night. Two rowdy customers, who are members of a local gang, try to start a brawl indoors. King, acting as the respectful host, asks that they take it outside. They attack her and she calmly dispels their punches while repeating her wish. She keeps her composure until one of them calls her ugly; she loses her temper and sends both punks flying with her Venom Strike. Invigorated and solving her personal dilemma, King agrees to enter the tournament with the other two ladies.

Rugal, stating to the audience that he strives for perfection, orders for one of his servants through his intercom. The man quickly attends to him and instantly apologizes. Rugal, after pointing out a strand of his servant's hair in the room, kills the man with a Reppuken. Spotting another mistake, he calls for another servant; she runs to his side and then prostrates herself seconds later. He criticizes her "perfect" bed-making skills since she used beige toned sheets when they were white the day before. For her failure to remain consistent, he murders her with a Kaiser Wave. Satisfied with his work, he takes a chance to look himself in the mirror. What he first perceives to be some gunk on the mirror is actually some dried snot near his nose. He performs a Genocide Cutter on the mirror and ends the transmission.

Due to Takuma's request, Ryo and Robert are on a bus for Mexico to join their master. They both wonder why they need to go there with Robert suggesting Japan or his home country Italy. He then fantasizes about his fairy tale life with his "wife" Yuri in Italy, which has him ready to challenge Takuma to be the next Kyokugenryu heir and joyfully expecting a child. When he wakes up from his nap, Ryo tells him to get off the bus since they've reached their stop. Exhilarated from his dream, Robert blindly runs off to meet with Takuma.

Nightfall comes and they still haven't found their master yet. Takuma's hand drawn map does little to alleviate the situation since its poorly drawn directions confuse them further. Trusting their guts and their master's directions, they decide to scale the cliffs for the dojo but Ryo begins to get scared of heights and falls. Eventually, they find the pathway to Takuma's hideaway and begs the duo to enter. At first they don't recognize him until he slays a chicken with his Zantetsuken. He informs the two that the shack he's living in is the dojo and demands they show the proper respect. They spend the night training and dining (although Ryo gladly gives his share of the food to Robert). The latter tries to warm up to Ryo as a brother-in-law but can't since Ryo goes to sleep.

The duo stage a public gathering to show off the greatness of Kyokgenryu Karate the following morning. A great deal of their acts consists of Ryo chopping various objects in half with his fists which gets a positive reaction from the crowd. The crowd is so impressed that they shove both fighters onto a Lucha Libre ring to battle with one another. Ryo is outraged that he has to agree to this event, but Robert tells him it's necessary for one of them to spread Kyokugenryu's publicity in Mexico. With unchecked frustration, Ryo starts a real fight with Robert.

Back at the dojo, Takuma guesses that the duo has probably failed in their goal and hands them a letter from Southtown. Robert takes it to be a love letter from Yuri but once he reads it, the letter is actually a King of Fighters invitation. Takuma says that he has no intention to enter since he wants to spread the Kyokugenryu network into Mexico. Once Robert reads an insulting footnote on the invitation directed towards the old man, Takuma blasts it with a Kou-Ou Ken and agrees to enter with his students. After their master runs out, Ryo thanks his friend for lying about the insult.

At the airport, Benimaru makes fun of Goro's dated preference for women. Benimaru surmises that he'll have a ton of women flocking to him if they win the tournament, which raises the morale of his teammates. Goro, who is airsick, wants to get off the plane as soon as possible. After writing an informative note of her absence on her bar, King tells her comrades that she is done with all of her preparations. Yuri expresses her guilt at King leaving her bar, but King tells her not to fret since she is entering for her own good. In response, Mai and Yuri declare their own defiance at their loved ones. Ryo, Robert, and Takuma also make their departure for America in a rather shabby fashion.

Enjoying his lavish breakfast, Rugal basks in classical music and his gourmet yet nutritious meal. He states that he is much different than Geese or Krauser; he can't wait for the strongest to challenge him and become a part of his collection. While he eats, he gets a cheap laugh at a pun he makes with his food. His cheese is Geese and his crackers are Krauser.

Cast

 * Kyo Kusanagi - Ryōtarō Okiayu
 * Benimaru Nikaido - Hikaru Midorikawa
 * Goro Daimon - Ryūzaburō Ōtomo
 * King - Yumi Tōma
 * Yuri Sakazaki - Sakura Tange
 * Mai Shiranui - Megumi Hayashibara
 * Ryo Sakazaki - Akira Kamiya
 * Robert Garcia - Hideo Ishikawa
 * Takuma Sakazaki - Hōchū Ōtsuka
 * Rugal Bernstein - Banjō Ginga