The King of Fighters Side Story: The Origin of Flame - Shingo Travels Through Time! Let's Go!

'The King of Fighters Side Story: The Origin of Flame - Shingo Travels Through Time! Let's Go! (, lit. "The King of Fighters Gaiden: "The Origin of Flames" Shingo Time Slip! Let's Go!'"), is a new manga adptation based on The King of Fighters series. It is released by SNK and is published bi-weekly on Pocket Shonen Magazine online starting on July 19, 2021. A printed version is also published on Monthly Shonen Sirius Magazine. The publication is illustrated by Kyoutarou Azuma, who also wrote the manga series The King of Fighters: A New Beginning, focused in the KOF XIV tournament.

The story focuses on Shingo Yabuki right after the events of The King of Fighters XIV and before the events of The King of Fighters XV. By unexplained reasons, Shingo Yabuki is sent back in the time of 660 years ago, the ages where the Kusanagi and Yasakani clans are still united by trust.

=Story=

Chapter 1: SHINGO TRAVELS THROUGH TIME

 * Released in July 19, 2021

Antonov Super Arena, Russia. Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami, members of rival clans, fight fiercely in another KOF tournament, and use their flames, family heirlooms. The fight is exhibited in a tablet, whose owner is a big fan of the Kusanagi clan, especially Kyo: Shingo Yabuki. He uses the video to improve his martial arts training. And he tests his movements on a tree, which he bumps into the face, hurting himself. But he doesn't give up.

The night falls in Japan. Shingo regrets the photo of not having flames as his idol. But he says that soon he will. She announces her arrival at home, and is immobilized by his older sister. Shingo asks what she came to do there. She asks if her brother is still training for KOF, but is interrupted by her younger sister, who shows support for her middle brother's dream. The older sister counters, saying that the younger sister only supports Shingo to brag among her friends, starting an argument. Shingo sneaks out.

He stays in the bathroom alone for a while, until his older sister yells that the conversation isn't over yet. She claims that every time he enters the KOF, he always gets hurt a lot (Shingo is covered in scratches), and that he still hasn't fully recovered the last time he entered the tournament. The young man says he is doing something he enjoys, and the sister says she cares about him. The younger sister appears once more to interrupt the conversation. The older sister prepares dinner as their parents will be late. She goes on to say that she won't stop him from training, but reminds him that the Yabuki family are ordinary people, and that Kyo is very different from him. She even says that her brother must pursue his objectives and goals, but without exaggeration and regrets. Shingo says that he will surpass Kyo, ignoring his sister.

Following day. Saisyu Kusanagi, head of his clan, welcomes Shingo for another day of training. He asks if the young man has improved from his injuries, and he confirms enthusiastically. Saisyu complains about his son, saying he wanted him to be as hardworking as the disciple. Shingo asks about Kyo, and the clan leader says that the heir is traveling the world, enchanting him. In this, a female voice greets Shingo, who is amazed. The voice belongs to Chizuru Kagura, heiress to the Yata clan. The young man asks if she has come to see him, and the manager says that she has come to see Saisyu, awakening lewd thoughts in Shingo. Saisyu dispels the misunderstanding, saying that he is still married to Shizuka Kusanagi, Kyo's mother.

The training starts. Shingo starts with a few blows, which leads to Saisyu's disapproval. The leader of the Kusanagi clan shows a more advanced move, which the disciple tries to reproduce, without success. Saisyu orders the young man to hit the punching bag as many times as necessary, so that he can master the technique, and that he doesn't underestimate the Kusanagi style.

While Shingo trains, Saisyu talks to Chizuru. She admires how hard Shingo is, and asks if Kyo was trained in the same way. Saisyu denies it, saying that the son managed to be strong without anyone's help. Chizuru reiterates that the Kusanagi's flames are of blood origin and that however hard Shingo tries, he can never create flames. Saisyu questions Chizuru's claim, saying that everything has a beginning and that there is a reason why things are what they are. He still says that the flames are, yes, family heirlooms, but that he had them from the beginning, they didn't inherit from anyone. He also points out that the bearers of this type of flame triggered them in a moment of despair, and that, to awaken them, it is necessary to have courage and reason strong enough to do so. Chizuru says this is a bit over the top, and that they would both regret it if Shingo's training was wasted.

Saisyu asks the heiress of the Yata clan what brings her to the Kusanagi residence. Chizuru says it's because of the evil entity known as Verse, who appeared at the tournament Antonov hosted. She says that since the creature's appearance, she has felt a distortion in the air, and that she felt the same thing when Orochi was about to resurrect. She thinks that maybe this is her imagination, but she points out that it's good to be ready for a battle. Saisyu says she isn't feeling anything, but she trusts Chizuru's intuition and will take note of it. The conversation is interrupted when Shingo passes out after overtraining. Chizuru and Saisyu warn the young man of his over-enthusiasm.

Later, Shingo keeps training and believing he can improve his techniques. He pauses to look at other videos. Soon after, he goes back to training, as he still doesn't produce flames and wants to reach the level of his idol. Shingo remembers the lines of his sister and his master, and says that his goal may seem impossible to most, but that's what satisfies him. And that if he defeats Kyo, not even Iori Yagami can defeat him again. Shingo wonders why Iori wants to defeat Kyo, and concludes that it shouldn't be anything important. He still thinks about the fact that creating flames out of thin air isn't a normal thing, and wonders if they come from the heart. He also thinks that if he developed his flames, they would be a different color. At that moment, a strange hole opens up, carrying Shingo into a different dimension, and making him pass out again.

When Shingo wakes up, he finds himself in a bamboo forest at night. It is when a creature that resembles a snake, a wild boar, a raccoon and a bear, releasing fire through its nostrils. Shingo is startled, but imagines it's a delusion in his head. He is awakened from his reveries when the creature roars and chases him. He runs and thinks about his training. At one point, he tries to attack her, without success. The creature corners Shingo and tries to kill him, but is stopped by a flame coming from the other side of the forest, igniting it. Shingo thinks that it's a Kusanagi flame. The creature runs away. The owner of the flame babbles to Shingo, saying that the young man will be easy prey for the forest bears if he keeps walking alone.

The man tells Shingo to return home, as the creatures may appear again, and says goodbye. The young man calls the stranger Kusanagi, thinking it is a joke, as he woke up in an unknown place and something strange attacked him, and he still thinks the creature was a fantasy. Shingo even asks the stranger to stop with these attitudes, as he has already figured out what is happening, and that, for him, only a Kusanagi would use a red flame like that. The man then reveals himself, and says his name is YASAKANI. Shingo then realizes that he is in a place 660 years ago, and that he was facing a descendant of Iori Yagami.

Chapter 2A

 * Released in August 2, 2021

Shingo follows the man through the bamboo forest. He asks the stranger about the creature that almost attacked him. Yasakani confirms that the creature was transformed by Orochi. The clan member asks about the young man's lack of knowledge about the evil entity's transformations. Shingo says he has never heard of it. The young man asks how the Yasakani give off flames, and points out that, so far, he has never given one. He points out that although he has trained with Saisyu, he is still not fit. Yasakani's eyes widen when he hears the name of the rival clan, and asks Shingo to keep quiet and follow him.

Shingo tells himself that the man in front of him was scary. He immediately associates this feeling with the same feeling Iori Yagami causes and erroneously deduces that he is a fan of Iori more advanced in training, due to the fact that he releases flames. His delusions come to a halt when he comes across a construction typical of the Nanboku-chō period. Shingo asks where he is, and wonders about the houses around him. Shingo realizes he forgot his backpack and cell phone, and asks Yasakani what time it is. He doesn't understand and deduces that he was asking about the ox's time. The young man asks if he can't see the time on his cell phone and the man threatens him, saying he will kill him if he keeps saying things he doesn't understand. Both stop in front of the Yasakani clan gate. Shingo is amazed and chatters that their house is much bigger than the Kusanagi's. It's enough for Yasakani to apply a rear naked choke on the young man, who is unconscious.

The next day, Shingo wakes up, and quickly realizes he is in a cell. Yasakani speaks to him, and reveals his first name: Magai. The young man asks why he was arrested, and Magai says that Shingo looks suspicious. He asks the young man to calm down and answer his questions. He shows what he found in his clothes, which is a notebook and a pen, comparing it to an unpainted brush. Shingo asks to cap the pen, so as not to dry the ink. When Magai talks about the glove, he says that even though he passed out, he couldn't get it off Shingo, and asks him if it's that important to him. Shingo says he got them from the Kusanagi clan, and Magai concludes that the young man is an aristocrat, from his clothes and belongings. He still says he's never seen a paper of that quality nor such a convenient brush, and stresses that it's something commoners can't have. Shingo says he's just an ordinary high school student. Yasakani is unaware of these words and has never heard of the Yabuki surname. He considers erasing the young man again, thinking he is hiding his real identity. The conversation is interrupted by another member of the Yasakani clan, whom he calls out to Magai.

Chapter 2B

 * Released in August 23, 2021

Magai leaves the cell. Shingo begs to be released and return home, but clan member Yasakani says the young man will be held in prison until the group learns his identity, and if true, he will be released for his home. Shingo takes his notebook fallen from the ground and starts to write his stay at the site. In the first three days, he reports that he is tired of the temporal shock. He also reveals that he ate only brown rice, without any side dishes, and that he took his physiological needs in a wooden bucket. In addition, he also reports difficulties in conversing with Magai, as he does not understand his words. He realizes that he has gone back a few centuries in the past, and goes to ask Magai directly.

He, at first, does not understand the question, says he does not know the young man directly, but responds to the question, saying that since the fall of the Kamakaura Shogunate, disputes have been dominating Japan, and the number of outcasts has increased. Shingo, at last, finds a familiar word, realizing he is well before the Edo Period. He gives the start date of the Kamakura Shogunate, but cannot know when it ended. The young man realizes that he cannot stay there for long, and yet, excited, he rewrites in his notebook.

Day 4. Shingo is not so excited anymore. He wonders what to do, as no one knows him in the past and this is necessary to get out of his cell. He concludes that thinking about it only makes him feel worse, and he does his practice punches inside the cell. Magai observes from the outside, called the bogus imitation technique. Shingo is amazed. The clan chief asks if she is a Kusanagi clan-style aragami, and the young man asks if she is doing well. Magai says that he only sees an imitation, and that Shingo won't be able to kill anyone with it. The young man says he doesn't want to kill anyone. Magai asks Shingo to follow him.

In the backyard, Shingo finds the sunlight strange. Magai challenges him to a fight, as the young man claims to be a disciple of Kusanagi. The young man remembers how strong the boss of the Yasakani clan is, as he defeated the creature in the forest with one hand, and, as a competitor in the KOF tournament, he wants to test his version of the fighting style. Magai says Shingo's posture is not the standard Kusanagi style. The young man says that it is not just that, but what his master taught him. The Yasakani style master starts the fight by throwing a flame towards Shingo, who dodges. Distracted, he thinks about the Yasakani-style flames, until he is smothered by Magai's hand, bringing him to the ground.

Magai calls Shingo weak, for having easily defeated him. Shingo says he is still recovering from some injuries, and the clan chief says this is nonsense, adding that losing a fight means death and that he will only be able to make excuses after his death. Magai goes on to say that Shingo is a pampered bon vivant, and that everything will remain as it is for a while longer. The young man whimpers, and begs for Kusanagi. Magai listens to him, and says he's going to take him to him. Shingo is surprised by the possibility of meeting an ancestor of his idol.

Chapter 3A

 * Released in September 13, 2021

Magai says that them will visit Kusanagi after a few days, as he is very busy at the moment. Shingo continues to report what is happening with him during the period he is in, and says he needs to go back to the contemporary period, as he misses his technological gagdets, as well as a bathroom. He takes the opportunity to continue training, under Magai's eyes. He at first refuses, but Shingo hysterically begs for training. Magai trains him, dissatisfied with the young man's performance. He notices the boy writing in his notebook. Shingo asks to train again, when suddenly a woman appears carrying a child in her arms. The young man greets her quickly, and she introduces herself by the name Kaya. Shingo pampers the baby, and discovers that the child is the son of the two, Magai and Kaya, disappointing him inside.

The training continues, with Magai's suspicions that Shingo wants the secret of the Yasakani's ancient martial arts. The young man feels he is not moving fast, and asks the clan leader what is wrong. Magai says the boy's fighting pose gets in the way of his physique. Shingo says he won't change her as his idol does this pose. Magali asks if it's Kusanagi, and the young man confirms.

Kaya stops the training again, and admires their efforts. Magai says he only does it under pressure from Shingo. The clan chief asks what his wife is doing there. She replies that she already feels fine, and examines Shingo. The young man is suspicious, but Magai asks him to trust her. She presses her fingers to the young man's forehead and after that she writes the acronym KOF. Magai realizes that they are letters, and Shingo marvels at Kaya's abilities, which resemble Athena Asamiya's powers.

Magai demands Shingo say what those letters mean. Kaya tries to break up the fight. Both end up revealing the young man's scars, accidentally. Kaya feels them hurting, and interrupts the conversation at this point. Shingo asks to find Kusanagi, and Magai takes him. Upon reaching a large wooden gate, the clan chief asks the young man to wait outside. He waits until he hears the word START! Barely holding his curiosity, Shingo climbs the wall and witnesses a fight with the audience, where several clan members are gathered.

Chapter 3B

 * Released in September 27, 2021

The fight starts. The competitors are the leaders of Kusanagi and Yasakani clans. Both start throwing their flames at each other. Shingo is amazed by what he sees, and remembers the fights between Kyo and Iori in the KOF tournament. The fight gets more explosive, until it ends with the leader of the Kusanagi clan pushing Magai against the big gate. Shingo, who was at the top, loses his balance and falls inside, causing the surprise of those present and the embarrassment of the young man.

Magai gets annoyed with Shingo. The rival clan leader reaches out to him, and comforts him after defeat. He then notices Shingo, and says that Magai talks a lot about the young man, who claims to be a student of Kyo Kusanagi. The Kusanagi clan leader doesn't understand a word of what Shingo does, and questions him about Kyo and about saying he's Kusanagi's student. Shingo says that this is no pretense and that he is a student of the Kusanagi from the future, causing laughter from the Kusanagi leader. It is then that a voice rises, asking to speak.

The voice belongs to Yakumo, member of the Yasakani clan. He asks why Magai left Shingo alive. The clan leader says the young man wears Japanese upper-class clothes and customs. And he adds that, although we do not take sides in the current war, although they would like to, they cannot take hasty moves, as they are not well regarded by the shogun or the imperial court. Yakumo says, based on his clanmate's speech, that he might be hiding his identity, wonders if there's a reason for this, and suggests getting rid of Shingo. Magai says that getting rid of the young man would give the clan a lot of trouble, and suggests discovering his real identity.

Yakumo points out that Shingo knows about the secret of the Yasakani clan's flames and deduces that the young man may be Orochi's ally. Magai says his wife Kaya might have noticed. The other member says that the evil entity's power is beyond human comprehension, even that of priestesses. Shingo wonders who Orochi is. Yakumo says Magai is being too nice and too complacent. The leader says no, and the member says he doesn't know if he will give confidence to a fake, under the sly laughter of the others. The leader of the other clan becomes angry, under the intervention of Magai. Kaya appears, and says that, regarding Shingo, it's better to give it time. Yakumo questions her sacredistic view, and she adds that it's just intuition. The clan Yasakani member says that the words of a priestess matter a lot, but the same cannot be said of her intuition. Kaya regrets.

Suddenly, something strange happens in the sky. Presents look. It's a flock of crows, warning that there will be a pandemonium. Magai shouts that everyone must go south, causing a general stampede. Just before leaving, Yakumo stops in front of Shingo and says he won't bother him for now, but points out that if the young man does any harm to his clan, he will have no mercy. Shingo gets lost and runs after the mob. Kaya thinks about Shingo, telling herself that the young man is not of any of the clan bloodlines, nor does he belong to the Orochi clan, but his scars reveal marks of the Yasakani and Orochi clan at the same time. She wonders who the young man is.