“He is alive?” she asked, a little above a whisper.

Kazuya shook his head slowly in regret.

“He passed out because of fatigue. Devil,” Kazuya said slowly, “took over me when I lost. He did that to him. But Heihachi managed to turn the tables on him too.”

Heihachi groaned loudly again but this time his arms flayed about. Kazuya looked at Jun in worry.

“Jun…” Kazuya whispered to her, his voice urgent, “…you must go now…leave me to my fate…leave this place…leave it all and run away…run far, far away. ”

Jun kept shaking her head, tears falling down her cheeks on onto Kazuya’s face.

“I love you! I love you, Kazuya. So please don’t die…please…don’t!”

Kazuya smiled again. Those words…he was a lucky man to be able to hear those words even at in the end. He kissed her forehead and cupped her face in his hands. Jun felt her heart swell when she noticed his smile but a simultaneous world of horror when she saw how distant and glassy his eyes were by now. Even more than before.

“Jun…I love you…I love you too…” Kazuya whispered, “…but Heihachi… defeated Devil and killed me in the process. I don’t have much time now. But you have to live. For our child. For everything that ever mattered to both of us, please…you have to live.”

With that his eyes closed slowly. The smile on his face remained even as his eyes closed. Jun hugged him to her when his head finally sank forward, her tears falling on his face as she cupped his face in her hands. She watched all the way, resting his head on her lap, cradling his head in her arms. Finally with tears streaming down her face, seemingly forever, she kissed his forehead one last time. With that smile still there at the corner of his mouth, his last breath escaped his lips.

“Jun…”

Lightening was flashing at regular intervals, lighting up the whole place and then almost instantly it would disappear. Purple light, making every one’s face purple. She closed her eyes at the sight of that. She bit her lips, more tears being wrung out of her.

Jun slowly walked out of the large Zaibatsu compound without anyone noticing. She took the same path Kazuya had told her to take should he not make it out of the cursed fight alive. He didn’t. She walked the narrow path through the forest, carrying with her the small duffle bag with her belongings in it. Kazuya had passed away in her arms around an hour ago and with him all that was good in her life.

But then Kazuya’s last words reminded her and the life in her reminded her that it wasn’t true. That there was still hope and peace for her. That all wasn't lost.

As she thought this, she suddenly felt a forbidding presence nearing her. She turned around and saw a purple haze approaching her, tearing its way through the forest like a storm. It glided in the air like a mist and when it was near enough, she saw its scarlet eyes and huge wings flapping behind it, propelling it forward at an uncanny speed. Jun dropped the bag and staggered back, staring wide-eyed at this personification of evil.

“D-Devil? What do you want?”

Devil sneered malevolently. He looked down at her as he remained levitated in the air, its huge wings beating down at the air, dust and sand flying causing Jun to shield herself, her hair and clothes fluttering fiercely.

“What do I want? I need a host to exist at my full power! And that host is Kazuya’s child!”

Jun shuddered at those words.

“Never!" Jun screamed. "Don't you dare ruin this child's life the way you ruined ours'!"

Despite his arrogance there was urgency in his voice, at the borderline of desperation. She could feel his evil presence weakened and the power he was radiating now was very low compared to the time she saw him clobber Nina to a pulp several weeks ago. Nonetheless it was too much for a mere human to deal with. She stepped back a bit more. He was awesome to behold and intimidating beyond anything she had ever seen. His red eyes were ruthless and his glowing purple presence was so saturated with evil that just looking at him made Jun's blood curl.

But she was a mother. She had her child to protect. She swallowed hard mustering up all her courage to face this demonic entity, his three eyes burned like the flames of hell.

“I’ve come for your child! He is mine!” Devil roared, raising his fist threateningly at her.

“You will never take my child like you took…him!!! NEVER!!!” she screamed back furiously. With that Jun got into her stance ready to fight for her life—for her child’s life. Devil hovered forward rapidly and Jun’s sharp battle cry resounded in the unpopulated forest.

“Kazama-san! Hey, Kazama-san!”

Jun roused from her sleep. She looked up and saw the conductor telling her something. She cleared her throat and leaned her face forward.

“Sorry but I didn’t get that.”

“I said we will be there in an hour.”

“An hour?” Jun said looking around in surprise.

It was true. It was a brand new day now. Morning was in full bloom and she could smell the same aroma of freshness that Yakushima had. Birds and animals were roaming around freely and with the downpour yesterday, everything was alive with that damp beauty of resurrection. Slowly she felt nature sooth her. She felt herself breath and relax now. Nature never disappointed those who knew how to love it.

“Kazama-san, you’re hurt!”

The alarm in the conductor’s voice caught her attention.

“What?”

“You’re hurt!”

Jun followed his gaze and saw a crisscross of scratches and cuts on her arms and legs.

“What happened?”

“Oh n-nothing…just fell down in some bushes,” she lied, pretending to smile.

“Let me get you something. We always have these herbal medicines here in the bus. Trust me, they can cure anything in almost an hour! After a few minutes you'll be as good as new!”

The boy was lighthearted and had a happy-go-lucky nature that made Jun smile. That smile was her first in a long time.

“Thank you,” she said, "you're very kind..."

Jun screamed in pain as she was knocked far away by Devil’s invisible powers. She landed roughly on the ground, her arms and legs getting scratched thoroughly. Like the myriad times before though, she got up slowly but this time fell down. She was fading.

“You know you can’t win against me! Let me take over your son and I promise I won’t kill you!”

Jun shook her head as she remained on the ground on all four.

“N...N-Never...” she croaked weakly, trying to get up but failing again. Devil eyed her with slowly amassing irritation.

“Hmmm…”

Jun took a deep breath and then managed to pick herself up on the third attempt. She stood up shakily and fell into her stance, her vision hazy, her eyes watery with all the beating she had taken. But she was strong. And stronger still because of the life she was trying to protect.

“You are starting to annoy me now...die already!”

With that he pushed his face forward. A huge yellow beam of ki shot from his third eye towards Jun at a rapid speed. With her remaining strength she rolled out of the way, avoiding the bulk of it but still being grazed. It was enough to knock her down for the umpteenth time. Devil hovered over her as she lay prone on her back. She could feel her strength slipping away but with her all her determination found herself having enough energy to get up yet again. Devil face contorted in rage.

“Kazuya was my perfect host but you came and ruined all that. But now...this child...this child is unique beyond what your little brain can comprehend! Once I kill you I’ll take your son and rhe will become all that Kazuya couldn't become! The true child of Darkness!”

Jun suddenly powered up, the power coming to her as if from divine help.

“Don’t you dare!!!” she shouted back.

Devil scoffed arrogantly. An arrogant grin crept at his face as a large sphere of yellow ki formed at his forehead. Crossing his arms around him, his wings flapping wildly, he pushed his face forward as a huge golden beam of ki sped towards Jun at a blinding speed.

“GO TO HELL!!!”

Jun saw it rush towards her and crossed her arms in front of her, her black eyes alive with renewed fury and determination. A misty white aura formed around her as she stared at Devil...straight in his crimson eyes.

“Not if I send you there first!”

The bus passed by the small town that she and Kazuya had come to. Another festival was going on and in every young beautiful woman walking with her lover she found herself searching for her and Kazuya, walking hand in hand. She could see his radiant smile and heard his laughter from that day in the circus. She felt his arms around her. She relived every moment they shared in each other’s arms, the feeling of his gentle hands on her body, of his lips, every laughter, every smile, every moment that they stared into each other’s eyes. That was the time he seemed to have been born again. When she was born again. Happy and full of life.

But then, slowly, the town was left behind, just like everything else. She closed her eyes. Only memories remaining now. Nothing but memories.

“Kazuya…”

Devil looked on in shock. Almost suddenly Jun had turned the tide on him. He had been defeated. He stood there unsteadily, his arms flailing about as he tried to regain his footing but it was no use. Jun had defeated him.

“H-how? Why? Why did I lose to YOU?”

Jun stood in her stance in front of him. Her eyes were narrowed to slits as she glared at him furiously. Slowly he saw white ki flashing around her abdomen and legs, growing brighter and brighter.

“I have someone I must protect! That's why!”

She stepped forward and spun around, the ki around her brightening.  

“For Kazuya…”

She spun around again, the ki around her brightening to an almost divine haze.

“For me…”

The ki brightened still as Devil squinted his eyes against the overwhelming light that swiveled around Jun. It was a pure almost divine light that nauseated the cursed creature making him shield himself from it. Just the exposure to it was weakening him even more. Jun spun around one last time, the ki around her amassing, the light blinding.

“For JIN!!!”

With that she landed a powerful backspin kick onto the already groggy Devil’s jaw. The force in it was virtually unparalleled sending him spinning helplessly in the air. A loud crackling sound echoed in the forest followed by Devil’s vanquished roar of pain. Jun saw him fall hard on the ground and remain prone there. She didn’t ease up her stance for a long time, watching Devil’s stiff form for any signs of movement. Her eyes were still ablaze with that maternal fury, her breath ragged, choking.

The sun started shining through the clouds. Devil had stopped moving altogether, his eyes rolled up, his mouth open. His hands and feet twitched a few times. He was utterly defeated.

“Is it over?” she thought to herself, Kazuya’s smiling face appearing before her.

Then she felt it—the final fading away of Kazuya’s spirit. But she understood. Wang had told her that Devil and Kazuya were one and the same because Devil had his soul. Kazuya had died but Devil still had his grip on his soul. And now, she defeated Devil. With Devil's defeat came an end to his grip on Kazuya's soul...and with it, Kazuya died away completely. Kazuya’s long captivity was over, but with it, also his life.

Jun hung her head, musing over the irony of life and the weird works of fate: she had saved him from the darkness but at the cost of his life.

“Kazuya…”

Slowly she saw darkness engulf Devil. The damned creature started disintegrating and slowly disappeared. Jun watched it disappear, her heart torn between joy at saving her child and Kazuya and misery at her lover’s death. She stood alone in the forest, the animals, birds and trees as the only silent witness to her tears.