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.