"An invitation?"
The girl's words startled everyone. After all, it hadn't been long since the last tournament ended.
After the initial surprise, Aiden began carefully sizing up the blonde girl standing at the doorway.
Blonde hair, a princess dress, a parasol, refined and polite manners, yet with the occasional sly glint flashing through her eyes…
'Could she be his daughter?'
'Probably... right?'
Just as he was feeling puzzled, the blonde girl lifted the hem of her skirt and walked over to Mai Shiranui with elegant steps. She had clearly received proper etiquette training.
But that was only on the surface.
If Aiden hadn't guessed her identity wrong…
At this moment, having reached Mai Shiranui, the blonde girl handed her the envelope and kindly reminded her, "Please take good care of it. The invitation isn't signed, so be careful it doesn't get snatched away."
"Thank you!"
Even though the girl's cocky tone earlier had annoyed her, Mai Shiranui still replied politely. She then opened the envelope on the spot, and everyone saw a very familiar invitation.
A red invitation stamped with the letter R.
"Rugal?"
Seeing the invitation, Aiden showed an expression of just as I thought and softly spoke Rugal's name.
His voice reached the blonde girl. She looked at Aiden, her eyes flickering slightly, then performed a curtsy toward him.
"I know who you are, the champion of the last King of Fighters tournament, Mr. Aiden."
"So please allow me to introduce myself."
"My name is Rose Bernstein."
"The Rugal you mentioned is my father, Rugal Bernstein."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard your name from my father more than once. He speaks very highly of you and has always regretted not having the chance to fight you."
'So it really is her.'
'That "scheming" girl.'
'And regret…?'
Aiden rolled his eyes internally.
'Are you saving face for your dad, or did he not tell you the truth?'
'Your dad ran away scared out of his mind after seeing my strength, okay?'
'But now Rugal is this confident again?'
Had he succeeded with his experiment?
Had he obtained Orochi's power and become Omega Rugal?
"I'm also very pleased to meet you, beautiful and lovely… young lady."
Thinking this, Aiden nodded to the scheming girl, Rose. No matter what kind of person she was, at least for now she was being polite.
"Thank you for the compliment." Rose naturally had no idea what Aiden was thinking. Hearing his praise, the blonde girl smiled until her eyes curved into crescents.
Then Rose said to Aiden, "Oh, right. Although I'm the one delivering the invitations for this tournament, your invitation will be personally delivered by my father, so please wait a little while longer."
"Then I'll have to trouble your father," Aiden said indifferently. Even without an invitation, he could always just take one by force.
At this point, Rose lifted her skirt again and gave Aiden and the others another curtsy.
"Well then, the invitations have been delivered. I should be going now."
"Hey, wait a second."
Tsukihime, who had been ignored for quite a while, flashed forward and blocked Rose.
"Is there something you need, little delinquent wearing ill-fitting clothes?" Rose glanced at Tsukihime, her sweet tone filled with disdain.
"I'm not a delinquent! And my clothes don't fit because, damn it, why am I even explaining this to you?" Tsukihime glared at Rose and pointed at her without any courtesy.
"Do you have any more invitations? Give one to me too."
Rose looked at Tsukihime as if she were an idiot. She felt that such an enviable figure was utterly wasted on someone this stupid.
Rose's contemptuous gaze made Tsukihime furious. Just as she was about to speak again, Rose said dismissively, "Who are you? What qualifications do you have to receive an invitation?"
Although she didn't think much of Mai Shiranui and the others' strength either, at least they were top three in the last tournament. No matter what, they qualified. But Tsukihime was an unknown "nobody." She seemed to have some skill, but Rose wouldn't give an invitation to someone without fame.
After all, her father Rugal wanted to become the world's strongest. The bigger the name, the better.
Hearing Rose's words, black lines and stress marks instantly appeared over Tsukihime's head. After struggling to suppress her anger, she puffed out her chest and said, "Listen carefully. I am a direct descendant of the ancient Yagami family, a lineage that has lasted for thousands of years. My name is Yagami Tsukihime."
Then she stared straight at Rose and continued, "Is that famous enough? Am I qualified now?"
Rose didn't say anything, only looked at Tsukihime with a puzzled expression, already convinced that her judgment of people was quite accurate.
Clearly, she hadn't been involved in her father's experiments and knew nothing about the Three Sacred Treasures families.
At this moment, Aiden and Mai Shiranui's group, hearing Tsukihime's introduction, almost simultaneously twitched their lips.
Yuri whispered to King beside her, "Sister King, is that Yagami family famous?"
The three of them had fought Tsukihime so many times, yet they had never known her background.
King thought for a moment and shook her head. "Uh… doesn't ring a bell."
"Pfft!"
Hearing King and Yuri's exchange, Rose finally couldn't maintain her serious expression and burst out laughing.
But considering herself a lady, she quickly covered her mouth and then mocked, "I'm terribly sorry, but I've never heard of any Yagami family either. I have heard that Japan has the Kagura family and the Kusanagi family, both ancient lineages passed down for thousands of years. Could your Yagami family be their vassals? I hear that sort of thing is popular in Japan."
As soon as she said that, Tsukihime exploded with rage. She had always looked down on others, today, she was being looked down on by a little girl.
Mentioning the Kagura family was one thing. The Yagami family had always kept to themselves with the Kaguras. But bringing up Kusanagi, and saying the Yagami family were their vassals, how could she tolerate that?
She immediately snapped, "Damn you, what nonsense are you talking about? Let me tell you, the Kusanagi family is nothing. Sooner or later, our Yagami family will defeat them all! And that so-called genius fighter Kusanagi Kyo, hmph! My brother Iori Yagami could pin him down with one hand."
"Iori Yagami? Kusanagi Kyo? Your brother can beat him?" Rose had heard of Kusanagi Kyo's reputation. At first, her father had actually regarded Kusanagi Kyo as his biggest opponent… though he was quickly replaced by Aiden. Still, not someone to underestimate.
"Of course! Kusanagi Kyo is nothing!" Tsukihime said shamelessly, though in reality her brother and Kusanagi Kyo were at best evenly matched.
Rose looked at Tsukihime, then nodded.
"A woman like you probably wouldn't lie. After all, you're stupid enough."
"You bastard…"
Tsukihime glared furiously at Rose, while Rose took an envelope out of her delicate handbag.
"But since your brother is such a master, then take this invitation. I hope he really is as strong as you say."
After saying that, Rose glanced once more at Aiden and the others, then turned around and left the dojo.